Two minors sexually harassed in separate incidents at Mumbai railway stations, accused held within 24 hours

Mumbai: In two separate cases, two minor girls, a 10-year-old and a college teen, were groped at Kurla railway station and Dadar railway station on Monday. In both cases, Govt Railway Police (GRP) made arrests within 24 hours and produced the accused before sessions court.

In the first incident, the 10-year-old girl was playing by herself on the staircase of a foot overbridge at Kurla station, around 3 pm, while her mother and aunts waited on the platform nearby. Police said while the child was playing, the accused approached her and sexually harassed her. The child raised an alarm and rushed to her mother. As the accused started to run up the stairs of the bridge, the child’s mother realised what had happened and began chasing him. Soon, passersby joined in the chase and caught hold of the accused. He was thrashed before being handed over to the police. The accused was identified as Mujibul Khalil Shaikh. He was booked under provisions of the stringent Pocso Act.

In a separate incident, a 17-year-old college-goer was groped at Dadar station around 8.45 am. Police said the accused, who was under influnce of alcohol, walked towards her and touched her inappropriately. The girl was too stunned to react. By the time she called up her mother, the accused had left. The girl then approached the Mumbai Central GRP chowky and lodged a complaint. Police went through CCTV footage of the station and found images of the accused. They tracked him down within 24 hours and arrested him. He was identified as Mohammad Firoz Khan (26). He was booked under provisions of the stringent Pocso Act.