Almost a week after a 31-year-old woman from Ernakulam jumped off a running train in Kerala to evade an alleged rape attempt, the accused has been arrested by police on Tuesday. The absconding accused, identified as Bijukuttan, a native of Nooranad in Alappuzha, was arrested from Chittar in Pathanamthitta district.
The shocking incident happened on April 28, when the woman who boarded the Guruvayur-Punalur Express from Mulanthuruthy station, was attacked by the man. According to railway officials, the compartment which the woman entered was empty. The man who entered the same compartment, first threatened the woman taking off her gold jewelry. When he further attempted to assault her by holding her hand and attempting to drag her inside the toilet, the woman managed to get away. The woman who got hold of one of the doors of the train's compartment, which was shut by the accused, jumped off the train when it reached near Piravom. Sustaining head injuries, the woman was later hospitalised at a private hospital in Kochi.
Following the incident, officials of the Railways told TNM that the man was booked under Indian Penal Code sections 394 (Voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery), 307 (Attempt to murder), 376 (Punishment for rape) and 511 (Punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment).
The man had absconded after the incident. Police officials and railways had issued a lookout notice to nab the accused. He was arresed on Tuesday, while he was enroute to his relative's house in Pathanamthitta.
According to reports, the man had been previously booked under cases of theft.
Following the incident, the Kerala High Court and the Kerala Women's Commission had reportedly started suo motu proceedings. The High Court has asked the Railways about the possibility of arranging an emergency button in the compartments, which can prevent such attacks.