West Bengal: RPF jawan held for molesting actor

KOLKATA: A Railway Protection Force (RPF) jawan was arrested for allegedly molesting an actor inside a compartment of the Namkhana-Sealdah Local on Thursday evening. She was returning from the shoot of a short film at Bakkhali.
Another RPF jawan, who allegedly stood at the door and did nothing to stop his colleague, has also been suspended along with prime accused Samaresh Mondal. While Mondal was in an inebriated state, the other jawan managed to flee, said a GRP officer.
A car carrying the film crew dropped the victim at Namkhana from where she boarded the train at 8.46pm — the last train of the day from Namkhana. She was in a general compartment that was almost empty. At Lakshmikantapur, two RPF jawans boarded the compartment.
“Soon, one of them approached me and asked why I wasn’t travelling in ladies’ compartment. I had avoided boarding the compartment as it was empty at Namkhana. I thought it unwise to board a compartment where I would be the only passenger. But he continued to insist that I should shift to the ladies’ compartment,” said the victim, adding that at the next station, she shifted to the ladies’ compartment which was still empty.
“But the two jawans followed me and boarded the compartment. While one of them stood at the door, the other came up to me. He was smoking and blew the smoke on my face. He then offered me the cigarette but I refused. He then molested me. Later, some women passengers boarded the ladies’ compartment from a station. The RPF jawan then moved away from me. I called my husband and told him that I was in danger,” she alleged.
The victim’s husband then reached Sonarpur station where his wife had to get off. He lodged a complaint with the local GRP. A force from GRP police station stood outside the ladies’ compartment when the train stopped at Sonarpur. The victim got off and showed GRP cops who her tormentor was. Sensing trouble, the other RPF constable at the door fled. But GRP men arrested prime accused Mondal.