25-year-old Woman alleges Molestation on metro train in Bengaluru
The incident reportedly occurred during the peak hours on a crowded metro train in central Bengaluru on Tuesday.
Bengaluru: A 25-year-old woman who was traveling home from work has alleged that she was sexually harassed by a fellow passenger in a Metro in central Bengaluru. She claimed that the accused stood close to her and behaved in an indecent manner, leaving her shocked and uncomfortable. Both of them were travelling on a Namma Metro train in central Bengaluru.
In a video statement, the woman said that her metro ride lasted about 15 minutes. She said she was initially seated between a man and a woman. The man seated next to her got down at his station and another passenger took his place. She said that the new passenger sat unusually close to her, leaving her feeling uncomfortable and cramped between two people. When she tried to adjust her position to make space, she felt a hand pressing against her body in a manner she found disturbing. The woman revealed that she thought this might be a mistake, however, the passenger continue to make inappropriate contact with her body by placing his leg against hers.
After that the woman knew the man was doing it intentionally and got really angry. She said, “I was frozen. When I realised that someone was intentionally doing this to me. And I was really angry.”
The woman stood up to get off at her station and confronted the man and slapped him. She later found that the man was also getting off at the same station. “Luckily, he was also getting down at the same metro station. So I slapped him again in the metro station. I slapped him so hard that he was literally crying and begging. But above all of this, he was smiling also,” the woman said.
Metro security staff stepped in and escorted both individuals out, following, which the woman chose to lodge a police complaint. She said the man was taken to the Upparpet police station, where she was informed the accused had been travelling on the metro for nearly an hour without getting down at any station, raising suspicions of loitering. It was also known that he was under the influence of alcohol.
According to the complaint, the incident took place during peak hours when the train was crowded, making it difficult for her to move away or immediately seek help. The Upparpet Police has registered a Non-Cognisable Report (NCR) in the case. The police summoned the man for questioning, issued a warning, and released him later.
Based on her complaint, police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) related to sexual harassment. CCTV footage from the metro train and stations is being reviewed to trace the accused.
Metro officials said they are fully cooperating with the probe and advised commuters to immediately report any such incidents.
