Pregnant tribal woman raped on moving train in Bengal, accused arrested

The woman, a resident of Kalchini, was travelling in the disabled coach when the accused raped her, taking advantage of the compartment being largely empty.

In Short

• Railway staff heard screams from the coach and alerted the railway helpline
• The woman's husband reached the station after she called him about the incident
• The court sends the accused, identified as Gautam Mahato, to five days in police custody

A 20-year-old pregnant tribal woman was allegedly raped inside the disabled coach of the Mahananda Express while she was travelling from Delhi to her home in West Bengal's Alipurduar, police said.

The incident occurred when the train was nearing Kalchini in Alipurduar district. The woman, a resident of Kalchini, was travelling in the disabled coach when the accused raped her, taking advantage of the compartment being largely empty.

According to police, railway staff in an adjacent coach heard screams and shouting coming from the disabled coach when the train was near West Bengal’s Hasimara. They alerted the railway helpline, following which security personnel were prepared to intercept the accused when the train reached Alipurduar station.

Meanwhile, the woman also called her husband and informed him about the incident. He rushed to the station where the woman was rescued, and the accused was detained by the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF).

The accused has been identified as Gautam Mahato, a resident of Rangia in Assam. Based on the woman's complaint, police registered a case of rape and arrested him.

GRP Superintendent of Police Indrabadan Jha said railway electrical staff heard the woman's screams from the adjacent coach when the train was near Hasimara. They subsequently alerted the railway helpline.

"The woman was rescued. Based on the woman's complaint, the accused has been arrested, and a case of rape has been registered," Jha said.

The accused was produced before a court, which remanded him to five days of police custody.

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the alleged assault and are recording statements as part of the probe.

- Ends