Porter arrested for allegedly raping woman in empty train in Mumbai's Bandra

A 55-year-old woman was allegedly raped inside an empty train coach at Bandra Terminus in Mumbai on the night of February 1. The incident occurred after the woman and her son-in-law arrived at the terminus from an outstation train. The accused, identified as a porter, was arrested by the Government Railway Police (GRP) on Sunday morning after he was traced using CCTV surveillance footage.

According to police reports, after disembarking from their outstation train, the woman and her son-in-law moved to another platform at Bandra Terminus. The woman then entered an empty train that had pulled into the station. The porter, who was alone in the coach, allegedly assaulted the woman and fled the scene. A passerby noticed the situation and alerted the woman’s son-in-law, but by the time he reached the coach, the porter had escaped.

Following the incident, the woman filed a complaint with the Bandra GRP station. The police immediately began an investigation, reviewing CCTV footage from several cameras at the terminus. The footage led to the identification and detention of the accused, who re-entered Bandra Terminus around 5 AM and was found inside the same empty train. The accused was arrested shortly afterward.

The accused, a daily-wage worker, initially gave the name Rahul Shaikh to the police, but his identity is being verified. Authorities confirmed that the porter is a resident of the area and that the police are continuing to investigate his criminal background. The porter has been charged under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for rape and related offenses.

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) has suspended a personnel responsible for patrolling the area where the crime took place. The police are investigating whether the RPF personnel failed in their duties. In addition, authorities are reviewing station security protocols, especially regarding isolated platforms and empty trains, to enhance safety measures at railway stations and prevent such crimes in the future.