A 21-year-old law student had a traumatic experience while traveling on the Mangalore Mail, as she was molested by a male passenger for over three hours. The incident occurred between Jolarpettai and Katpadi while she was asleep in the ladies’ compartment, traveling from Thalassery to Chennai. The perpetrator, identified as Sajan SK (28) from West Bengal, was traveling with his wife and two children.
The victim reached out to the railway police, only to face further distress. Eyewitness and activist V Sathiabalan reported that the general railway police and RPF at Katpadi and Arakkonam stations were unhelpful, engaging in jurisdictional disputes. A police officer even suggested she de-board at Arakkonam to file a complaint. Senior police officials in Chennai eventually provided the necessary assistance, and Sathiabalan accompanied the victim to file a formal complaint at Chennai Central.
Disturbingly, some officers advised the young lawyer not to file a complaint, citing her inability to handle court proceedings. The victim’s complaint detailed that she noticed the culprit’s clothes moving to the S5 coach after the incident.
