The Tirupathur District and Sessions Court on Monday, July 14, convicted history-sheeter K Hemaraj, who attempted to rape a pregnant woman and then pushed her off a moving train. Hemaraj was sentenced to rigorous life imprisonment, and a fine of Rs 85,000 was imposed on him.
Judge S Meenakumari directed both the Ministry of Railways and the state government to pay Rs 50 lakh each to the survivor, according to reports. The judge also directed the state to bear all potential medical expenses that may be incurred by the survivor if required.
According to The Hindu, the court directed the state government to pay the compensation within a month.
In February, Hemaraj had pushed a 36-year-old woman off a moving train near Katpadi in Vellore district after she resisted his attempt to sexually assault her.
The woman was four months pregnant at the time. A native of Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh, she was living in Tiruppur and had boarded the Coimbatore-Tirupati Intercity Express alone. Hemaraj, who hails from Vellore, boarded the train at Jolarpett. He followed the woman to the bathroom and attempted to sexually assault her. When she resisted and screamed for help, Hemaraj pushed her off the train, causing head injuries and fractures to her limbs. The survivor also suffered a miscarriage due to the violent attack.
Passengers immediately alerted the Railway Police Force (RPF), and Hemaraj was arrested. The survivor was rescued and rushed to the Government Medical College and Hospital in Vellore.
TNIE reports that the survivor now uses a wheelchair due to sustaining 15 permanent injuries in the attack.
Hemaraj is a repeat offender who was out on conditional bail after being charged in the murder of a 29-year-old woman from Chennai in April 2024. Additionally, he had a case registered against him in 2022 for allegedly pushing a commuter off a train after snatching her mobile phone. He has been detained under the Goondas Act twice before.