Kalyan: The Mumbai Government Railway Police (GRP) have arrested all the eight accused involved in sexually assaulting a 20-year-old woman in a running express train. The accused have also been booked for theft. The police said all the accused consumed marijuana before boarding the express train.
Sources from the GRP said that the accused initially had no plans to commit theft on the train. "After they boarded the train one of the accused attempted theft by threatening a passenger with a knife. He was successful as the passenger gave him cash. Seeing this, others too started threatening passengers with knives. They believed that they wouldn't be recognised since it was dark," said a police officer from Mumbai GRP.
Quaiser Khalid, Commissioner of Police, Mumbai railways confirmed said that the matter is being investigated further.
The police said among the eight accused, two were arrested by the Igatpuri police, while the other six were arrested by the GRP, Kalyan and the Local crime branch of GRP.
Shardul Walmik, senior police inspector, GRP, Kalyan and the investigation officer in the case said, "Among the eight accused one of them had a past record of dacoity. The investigation is ongoing."
The police during investigation found the accused had looted cash from 16 passengers and robbed 9 mobile phones. They then sexually assaulted a 20-year-old woman who was newly married and came to settle in Mumbai. "The accused had oral sex with the woman and sexually assaulted her. When the victim's woman husband tried to intervene he too was assaulted by the accused," said a police officer from the GRP.
The police said the incident took place on the Lucknow - Mumbai Pushpak express train on October 8. The accused boarded the train at Igatpuri (Aurangabad Railway district) in sleeper boogie D-2. “It was around 7 pm when the train left Igatpuri railway station.
The eight accused entered the compartment and began their operations while the train was passing through a ghat area during the night,” said a police officer.
