The Government Railway Police (GRP) arrested a 32-year-old man at Dadar station who allegedly molested, robbed, and threw a Mumbai-based sales tax officer out of a long-distance running train. The incident took place on August 6.
According to police, the 29-year-old officer from Goregaon was on her way back to Mumbai from Pune when the incident occurred. The officer was traveling in ladies' coach next to the guard’s cabin. She boarded the Bangalore-Mumbai Udyan Express from Pune around 4 pm. Her trip to Pune was an official work trip.
"Some people got off the train at 8.27 pm when it arrived at Dadar station platform number 6 (Central Railway). A male boarded the ladies' compartment shortly after the train began, groped the complainant woman, and attempted to steal her luggage. "As she resisted, the man threw her out of the running train in an attempt to overpower her," said senior inspector Smita Dhakane of Dadar police station.
According to information shared by police, she was alone in the ladies' general coach at the time of the occurrence, and as a result, the accused managed to flee when the train departed the station. The woman suffered head and hand injuries and was taken to a local hospital.
After hearing out the woman, Dhakane’s team under the supervision of senior officials carried out a search operation to hunt and take action against the accused man. They scanned CCTV footages of Dadar and CSMT railway stations. From the footage, they managed to trace the accused. The accused is identified as Manoj Chaudhary. The police managed to catch the accused within eight hours of the incident, said Dhakane.
Police also managed to recover her robbed bag. There was some cash in the bag, which was recovered too.
Chaudhary used to work as a security guard in Pune. Recently he was laid off from his job. According to police, he claimed to be in Mumbai on his way to his hometown in Madhya Pradesh.
The woman, who was injured, felt traumatised by what happened and went to the police station only on Monday to register a complaint, according to police. Further police also stated that she is now in stable condition health-wise.
“On the day when the incident took place, the train had just started to leave the platform, and hence when the accused threw her out, she fell on the platform,” said another police official.
Chaudhary was arrested under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 394 (voluntarily causing hurt while committing robbery), and 354 (molestation) of the Indian Penal Code, as well as sections 150(1)(e), 153, 137, 147, and 162 of the Indian Railways Act.
The accused had no crime record before this incident. His family has been informed about his arrest and the crime he committed, police said.
The statistics of women facing sexual or physical harassment while they are traveling is a big one. More than 85% of women face rape and sexual assault while they are commuting via trains, buses, or flights.
According to a survey, in Mumbai, 2% of female commuters reported harassment to the police, but none were pleased with the resolution. Around 75% of women who commute by train are not aware of the helpline numbers. The cops will arrive at the scene right away to take action if you call the 24-hour helpline for crimes against women in Mumbai at 103.
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