Train molestation bid: 27-year-old arrested

MUMBAI: A 27-year-old man with a past molestation record with the Government Railway Police (GRP) was arrested on Monday for attempting to sexually assault a woman, forcing her to jump off a running train last week.

The accused, identified as Ashrafali Shaikh, a resident of Sion Koliwada, tried to molest the victim, a teacher, and wife of a police constable, in a central railway train on February 9. According to Purshottam Karad, deputy commissioner of police (GRP), the woman boarded a train at Chhtrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) at 8.15am in order to travel to Parel. However, she accidentally got onto a train heading to Kurla rail yard instead.

Karad said that seeing the woman alone, Shaikh too boarded the same compartment. When the victim told him it was a ladies compartment, he allegedly approached her and held her hand with the intention to molest her.

Scared, the woman tried to get off but the train did not stop at Masjid Bunder. She eventually had to jump off the running train, injuring herself.

After she lodged a complaint, GRP officers scanned CCTV footage of all the platforms from CSMT to Kurla.

At CSMT, they identified the suspect talking to a ticket checker.

“On showing his photo to locals, we found out his address and that is when we figured that the accused has a criminal record. We received a tip that Shaikh was going to Churchgate station on Monday night,” said Karad.

Police laid a trap at Churchgate station and intercepted the suspect. On searching his bag, they found a knife.

He was arrested and booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.