Minor girl raped in Jhelum Express, Pune Railway Police arrest three pantry personnel

New Delhi, July 23

A minor was allegedly raped in the pantry car of the Jhelum Express train earlier this week. 

The railway police arrested three persons, including a pantry car staffer and his contractor all residents of Pune.

The police said the 14-year-old girl is an orphan who had boarded the AC compartment of the Jhelum Express at Bhopal around 12.30am on July 19. A man working in the pantry car of the train spotted her and questioned her about her presence in the compartment. After threatening to hand her over to the ticket examiner, the accused took the girl to the pantry car on the pretext of offering her food. He then raped the teenager inside the pantry car.

The girl de-boarded the train at Bhusawal railway station in Maharashtra where she came across workers from an NGO who took her to the Railway Protection Force (RPF) station situated nearby.

The girl was further taken to the Bhusawal police station where the police registered an FIR under 376 of the Indian Penal Code and sections of the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on the night of July 19. The case was later transferred to the Bhopal Railway Police.

The Pune Railway Police launched a search for the accused. A team of Pune Railway Police collected information about 13 suspects. 

During further probe, cops rounded up three suspects, who were residing in Shravasti Nagar in Ghorpadi area of Pune city. 

The Bhopal Railway Police came took the accused persons into their custody after the victim identified and confirmed the identification of the accused.