A 57-year-old man was apprehended after he allegedly travelled in the ladies’ compartment of a Mumbai local train wearing a burqa.
The man was initially apprehended by the Government Railway Police (GRP) and later handed over to the Railway Protection Force (RPF) at Ghatkopar for further legal procedure.
The incident occurred on February 6. It came to light when commuters spotted the man inside the ladies’ coach of a Karjat-bound local train at Ghatkopar station and went viral on social media the following day.
According to officials, the individual got down from the train and fled from the opposite side of the platform before railway staff could stop him.
The accused was identified as Sheikh Altaf Hussain Ishaq. He was traced to the Muktidham area in Nashik following a detailed analysis of CCTV footage by the Mumbai GRP team.
Although no formal complaint was lodged by any woman passenger, the GRP took the matter seriously and launched an investigation.
Police scanned footage from more than 25 CCTV cameras across Nashik city between February 8 and February 17. The accused was eventually identified based on his distinctive walking style and the shoes he was seen wearing in the video.
According to officials, CCTV footage from Ghatkopar and Thane stations showed the suspect deboarding the general coach of the Up Patliputra Express at Thane on February 6 before boarding a local train.
According to CR, during questioning, enquiries revealed that the accused has been suffering from mental illness schizophrenia and has been undergoing psychotic medication treatment at various hospitals since 2022, officials said.
Authorities also appealed to passengers to immediately report any unusual or suspicious activity to on-duty railway staff or helpline 139.