Delhi Schools Bomb Threat: CISF Stops Woman Paraarcher In E-Wheelchair Ride Metro At Noida Sector 16

Noida: A woman using a motorized wheelchair was stopped outside the check-in area of the Blue Line's Sector 16 metro station by a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) employee and told to switch to a Delhi Metro wheelchair on Wednesday morning, amid concerns about bomb threats sent to schools via email.

Noida Woman Denied Entry

Anju Beniwal (42) was informed she could not board a train when she enquired as to what to do when she arrived at her destination without her own wheelchair. "I'm not sure what would happen if I switched from my electric wheelchair to another one that DMRC provided after my metro trip was over. How would I go around if DMRC wouldn't provide me with a wheelchair outside the station?" inquired Anju, a polio patient.

Anju: A Regular Passenger

Anju, a para-archer who lives in Delhi's Mayur Vihar, expressed surprise at the CISF officers' rejection of letting her inside as she has frequently used the same wheelchair on the metro. "This was the first time it had happened. For the past two years, I have been bringing my wheelchair onto the Delhi metro," Anju stated. She was traveling to Bahadurgarh, Haryana, to see a doctor regarding a hand injury she had recently acquired in an accident.

Forced To Take Taxi

Ultimately, she was forced to take a taxi, which was far more expensive, to Bahadurgarh. Anju stated, "I arrived at Sector 16 around 11am, and I begged the CISF personnel to let me into the station for almost an hour, but he just wouldn't listen to me. This experience just broke me, even though I don't think dependence is acceptable. I was hoping someone would approach me outside the station and speak up for me, but nobody did. Even when I asked other local security officers for assistance, they turned me down as well," Anju remarked. She has been practicing at Noida Stadium for a number of years.

Since it is clearly stated that e-bikes are not permitted in metro areas, the electric wheelchair's design, which makes it resemble an e-bike, may have caused confusion, a senior CISF officer remarked.