Mumbai: Nearly three months after a pervert flashed at a sociology student in a Churchgate-bound local train, the GRP (government railway police) has arrested the accused, a 19-year-old drug addict who travels frequently between Gujarat and Mumbai.
On May 24, when the girl was travelling from Borivali to Dadar in a Churchgate-bound local train, the accused allegedly abused her and masturbated in the adjacent handicapped persons’ coach. He got off at Kandivali station only to enter the ladies coach and threaten to rape the girl. The victim managed to click a picture of the accused and posted her ordeal on a social networking website. The post went viral and the police swung into action. A case was registered with Borivali GRP after which at least five teams were formed to ultimately nab Raju Pappu with the help of the photograph the victim had clicked.
Purshottam Karad, deputy commissioner of police, GRP (western railway), said, “One of the investigating teams was sent to Gujarat and they scanned stations including Surat, Valsad and Vapi with Pappu’s photograph. They learned that the accused was an addict and had no permanent residence. Officials also found out that he used to frequently visit Mumbai.”
The officials returned to Mumbai and all teams were pressed into the search for Pappu. The teams thoroughly scanned beaches, pavements, places of worship among others but in vain. By a stroke of luck, the railway police saw a person looking like Pappu at Borivali station on Sunday and took him into custody. Upon verification, he turned out to be the same person the GRP was looking for. The Borivali GRP has registered a case under sections 354 (A)(1) (sexual harassment), 509 (outraging the modesty of a woman), 504 (intentional insult), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and the accused has been sent to police custody for further investigation.
