A 25-year-old woman was allegedly sexually harassed by a fellow passenger aboard the Malabar Express on Tue, Nov. 10, in Kerala. The incident took place during her morning commute from Chirayinkeezhu to Thiruvananthapuram, after which the accused allegedly assaulted her at Pettah railway station when she threatened to report him to the police.
According to reports, the woman boarded the train from Chirayinkeezhu at around 7 AM. During the journey, a 39-year-old man, identified as Vijesh, allegedly misbehaved with her and repeatedly touched her inappropriately. Initially, she assumed that the contact was accidental due to the crowd inside the train. However, when the behaviour continued, she raised an alarm, prompting fellow passengers to intervene and question the accused.
A young passenger reportedly stepped in and asked the man to move away from her. The woman subsequently moved to another part of the train, but the accused allegedly continued making obscene gestures towards her from a distance.
When the woman got down at Pettah railway station, the accused allegedly approached her again, blocked her way and made obscene gestures and abusive remarks. When she warned him that she would report the incident to the police, he allegedly challenged her and punched her in the face, causing her to fall unconscious on the platform.
The accused reportedly attempted to kick her while she was on the ground, but nearby passengers and members of the public intervened and restrained him before handing him over to the Railway Police.
The victim was subsequently taken to Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital for treatment. Recalling the horrifying incident, she said she feared that something similar to the 2011 Soumya rape and murder case could happen to her. In that incident, a 23-year-old woman travelling on a train was assaulted and pushed out of a moving train. The victim in the present case said she was fortunate that the train was stationary when the assault occurred.
The Railway Police arrested Vijesh following the woman's complaint. Police have registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Reports also state that an earlier assault case had been registered against the accused at Attingal.
Comments