Mumbai: Unidentified Man Shockingly Cuts College Girl's Hair At Dadar Station; Arrested

A disturbing incident took place at Dadar railway station on January 6, 2025, when a 19-year-old woman’s hair was cut off by an unknown individual while she was on her way to college. The victim, a student from a well-known Mumbai college, was travelling from Kalyan to Matunga Road ( WR)  aboard a special local train for women. She reached Dadar station around 9:29 AM and was walking towards the western railway foot over a bridge when the attack occurred. The Mumbai Central Railway police on Tuesday arrested the accused, identified as Dinesh Gaikwad, 35, a resident of Chembur who works for a small private company in the western suburbs.

According to the woman’s statement to the Government Railway Police (GRP), as she passed near the booking counter, she felt something prick her around 9:31 AM. When she turned around, she noticed an unfamiliar man with a backpack walking hastily away. She then observed hair on the ground and, upon checking, realised that half of her hair had been cut off.

The victim immediately reported the incident to the Railway Protection Force (RPF) at Dadar (Western Railway), who showed her CCTV footage of the area and advised her to file an FIR. The woman subsequently went to the Mumbai Central GRP, where her complaint was registered. The police filed a case under Section 74 (assault or use of criminal force on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and Section 79 (word, gesture, or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The GRP later arrested the accused on Tuesday. A railway police officer stated, "Tuesday, we set a trap on the same bridge, and with the assistance of CCTV footage, we arrested the accused. We will seek his remand to investigate his motive behind the act and check for any prior cases. The accused and the victim did not know each other at all."

The incident has once again highlighted concerns about women's safety in public spaces, especially in crowded areas like railway stations.