Woman raped on board Pushpak Express, four held

Police said on Saturday that an eight-member robbery gang boarded the Mumbai-bound Pushpak Express train at Igatpuri railway station and raped a 20-year-old woman. The accused also stole goods worth Rs 96,390 from the passengers. Police have arrested four people in this connection. Search is on for four other accused.

Mumbai: Four people have been arrested for allegedly raping a 20-year-old woman on board the Mumbai-bound Pushpak Express train, police said. According to the officials, a search is underway for four other accused.

According to police, the incident took place Friday late night when the express train was traversing the ghat section between Igatpuri and Kasara railway stations in Maharashtra on the Central Railway route.

The accused boarded the train at Igatpuri railway station and robbed the passengers of goods, mostly mobile phones, worth Rs 96,390. The woman who was in the sleeper bogie was raped by the accused, police said.

Mumbai GRP's Police Commissioner Quaiser Khalid gave details of the incident in a series of tweets. "Accused boarded Lucknow-Mumbai Pushpak Express at Igatpuri ( Aurangabad Railway district) in sleeper bogie D-2 and started committing the crime through the Ghat area during the night. When the train reached Kasara under our jurisdiction passengers called out for help. The officer and staff @grpmumbai immediately responded and we have apprehended four accused so far," he said.

Quaiser Khalid's tweet

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"Crime branch are investigating the offence. Total stolen property is estimated at ₹96390/-(mostly mobile) of which we have recovered property worth ₹34200/-. We are monitoring the investigation," he said in another tweet.

"The victim is twenty years old and she has been taken for medical examination by our lady officer. She is fine. We are collecting all evidence. The accused are being questioned by our team. We are checking their previous records," he added.

Quaiser Khalid's tweet

The Kalyan railway police have registered a case against the accused under Sections 395 (dacoity), 397 (robbery or dacoity), 376(D) (gang rape), 354 (assault or use of criminal force to any woman, intending to outrage her modesty), 354(B) (assault or use of criminal force to any woman or abetment of such act with the intention of disrobing or compelling her to be naked) of the Indian Penal Code and also Sections 137 (fraudulent travel)and 153 (endanger the safety of any person travelling) of the Indian Railways Act.