Pune man molests teen on Deccan Queen

Mumbai: A 33-year-old man from Pune, molested a 14-year-old girl onboard the Mumbai-bound Deccan Queen train when it was passing Matunga station on Thursday morning. The Government Railway Police (GRP) arrested the accused after the train reached Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) station. Railway police officers said that the accused had boarded the train during its halt near Matunga station. He allegedly touched the girl, who was travelling to Mumbai with her parents, inappropriately and then locked himself inside the toilet to avoid getting caught.

GRP officials said that the incident took place on Thursday morning inside the general coach of the Mumbai-bound train. The family was standing and travelling and the accused, identified as Arvind Pund, touched the girl's shoulder. “When the girl raised an alarm following the alleged incident, Pund ran and locked himself inside the general coach toilet. He was taken into custody at CSMT station,” said Nitin Bobade, senior inspector Dadar GRP.

Officials will now also ascertain whether he was also involved in the molestation case reported at Thane in January, where a teenager was touched inappropriately onboard the Mumbai-Bhubaneshwar Konark Express by an unidentified person.

The accused boarded the victim’s coach at Thane station and right after the train started, he touched the teen while she was brushing her teeth. She raised an alarm, but before anybody could come to her rescue, the accused alighted from the train and fled. There has been no clue on the incident.

The accused is a resident of Pune and is now being questioned on the incident further. Pund has now been handed over to the Dadar GRP who are investigating the incident.

A case under section 354 (molestation) of the Indian Penal Code and as per relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences act has been registered against Pund.