MVA attacks Maharashtra govt on women's safety after girl's rape in Mumbai local

Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar hit out at the Home Department headed by Fadnavis and questioned the efficiency of the police machinery

The horrific incident of a 20-year-old girl sexually assaulted by a porter in a suburban train near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai triggered off the issue of women's safety yet again after the rape-murder of a girl in a hostel in Marine Lines and the sensational Mira Road murder.

The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi has slammed the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis dispensation on the issue of law and order and women’s safety.

Also Read: Student raped on Mumbai local train, suspect held

The Maharashtra State Commission for Women has written to the Railway Police seeking a report on the incident.

The accused Nawaz Khan (40) has been arrested by joint teams of the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) within hours of the incident which took place on Wednesday morning as the train left the CSMT for Panvel.

The victim was on her way from Mumbai to Belapur in the satellite township of Navi Mumbai to appear for examinations.

The incident took place just after the CSMT-Panvel train - of the Harbour Line of Central Railway - started in the morning hours at 0727 hrs on Wednesday. The accused jumped off the train at the Masjid station.

“It was a case of sexual assault…as soon as the matter was reported to police, we swung into action, and within hours, we arrested the accused. He was produced before Magistrate’s court, which has granted six days police custody,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Manoj Patil told DH.

Also Read: Mira Road murder: Accused claims partner died by suicide, denies physical relationship

Among other Indian Penal Code sections, the police applied section 376 (rape).

The accused works as a porter and hails from Bihar.

After the complaint, police scanned the CCTV footage of CSMT and Masjid station and identified the accused, and arrested him by 4 pm.

Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly Ajit Pawar hit out at the Home Department headed by Fadnavis and questioned the efficiency of the police machinery. “There has been an increase in incidents of crime against women,” he said.

“The incident of a person getting into the women's compartment and sexually assaulting a young woman in a moving local train in Mumbai is a very disturbing and heinous act. The issue of women's safety in public transport has come up once again. The investigating agencies must take strict action against the accused and set a warning for all those who indulge in acts like these,” NCP Working President Praful Patel said.

Maharashtra Mahila Congress President Sandhya Savvalakhe questioned what was the government and home department doing.

“This shameful incident comes barely a week after the rape-cum-murder of a student in a hostel and is an issue of women’s safety,” she said.

"This is very disturbing and the issue of security in Mumbai local trains has once again come to light. It appears that criminals now have no fear of police law and order machinery,” said Baramati MP and NCP Working President Supriya Sule.