MLA, wife assaulted on train train in Bihar

 A legislator was thrashed and his wife molested by a group of railway employees who were travelling with them in the AC-2 tier coach of the Danapur-Howrah Express.

According to sources, BJP MLA Shivesh Kumar, son of former Union minister Muni Lal, was travelling from Patna to Howrah with his wife and their six-month-old baby in AC-2 tier coach. After they reached their allotted berths 17 and 18, around 12 persons came and occupied berths 13, 14, 15 and 16.

Soon after the train left Rajendra Nagar station, several people in the group took out liquor bottles and started drinking. When the MLA’s wife protested, the attendant of the compartment said he could not do much as they were railway staff and going to Hooghly district in West Bengal for training.

Two of the berths occupied by the 12 members were booked in the name of an MP but were vacant. Till then, none knew that Shivesh was an MLA. When the unauthorised occupants started speaking vulgar and singing raunchy songs, Kumar protested.

The MLA, travelling without his bodyguard, was then thrashed by the group. One of the miscreants allegedly threw whisky on Kumar’s wife and forced himself on her, injuring the infant in her lap. Another made a phone call to someone in Mokama saying: “Get firearms ready as a couple has to be eliminated.”

The co-passengers travelling in the train were scared and could not muster courage to take on the “hooligan railway staff” since they were 12 in number.

The MLA’s wife, however, showed courage and dialled woman’s helpline number. “The men got more agitated after my wife lodged a complaint. One of them caught hold of my collar as my wife screamed for help,” said the MLA.

In the meantime, the staff at the helpline acted swiftly and informed the GRP officials. Within half an hour, a posse of 50-60 policemen were stationed at Khusrupur, the next railway junction. As soon as the train reached there, the cops raided the bogie.

“Two railway personnel - Pankaj Sinha (TTE at Muzaffarpur) and Surabh Singh (booking clerk at Rajendra Nagar) - were arrested and produced before the railway magistrate on Saturday who remanded them to 14 day judicial custody,” said Vijay Kumar, Station House Officer (SHO) of Patna Sahib GRP. The rest of the railway staff managed to flee under the cover of darkness.

On the basis of the MLA’s statement, an FIR was lodged against all the railway employees travelling in the compartment under sections 307, 354, 341, 504, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Additional Director General (Railways) P N Rai said a copy of the FIR would be sent to senior railway authorities for departmental proceedings against all the accused.
Meanwhile, the MLA and his wife were provided security for their onward journey.