MUMBAI: A transgender person has been arrested for allegedly assaulting a woman on a moving local train, for molesting her and issuing rape threats. Police said the accused, Prafulla Panchal, 23, was drunk.
On Wednesday night, the complainant had boarded a Virar-bound local at Andheri station. She stood in the passage of a first class ladies compartment. Around 10.15 pm, when the train reached Goregaon station, Panchal got in and sat in the passage, his legs spread out. After a while, the complainant told Panchal to sit properly as other commuters were finding it difficult to board and alight.
"Angry at this, Panchalslapped her and hit her on the head and started abusing her and told her to get out of sight. Other commuters came to her rescue," a railway police officer said.
Panchalallegedly issued rape threats to the complainant and to another woman who came to her rescue. Panchal made lewd gestures at the two women and sexually harassed them. "All commuters were terrified. A Maharashtra Security Force jawanpresent in the compartment on escort duty witnessed the goings-on. He made Panchal disembark at Borivliand handed Panchal over to railway police," the officer said.
