A man accused of pushing a woman passenger off a Mumbai local train after she objected to repeated sexual harassment was captured on CCTV walking away from the railway platform after the incident.
The footage shows the accused, who is identified as 53-year-old Jitendra Hirmukhe, moving through the platform before eventually leaving the camera's view. He was later arrested by the police.
In the CCTV footage, Hirmukhe, dressed in a red shirt, is seen walking quickly through the crowded railway platform. He briefly interacts with another passenger before taking a left and disappearing from the camera's view.
He later reappears in the footage and walks along the length of the platform. In the latter part of the video, he appears nervous and is seen briefly holding his forehead before walking away.
The incident left the woman with severe injuries. She lost one of her arms, which had to be amputated during treatment. She also suffered a serious head injury that required 16 stitches.
According to her complaint, the woman had boarded a local train from Borivali to Virar when the accused allegedly touched her inappropriately several times. She objected to the behaviour and threw a slipper at Hirmukhe.
"I was on my way to Naigaon. I had boarded the train at Borivali. As we were approaching Naigaon station, a man - the one who was touching me inappropriately - began to molest me. I confronted him. Even after I got off the train, he continued to touch me inappropriately. I asked him, 'Don't you have a mother or sister at home?' Yet, he persisted in molesting me," the woman told NDTV from her hospital bed.
The accused allegedly reacted by abusing her and throwing his slipper at her. The altercation continued until the train reached Naigaon, where Hirmukhe allegedly pushed her off the train. She fell into the gap between two coaches.
Before she could climb back onto the platform, the train started moving. She sustained serious injuries and was pulled onto the platform by a police officer and fellow passengers.
"I swore at him. He swore back, and when I tried to drive him away by hitting him with my slipper, he struck me with his own slipper. Then, he pushed me off the train. I want justice. My entire life has been ruined. I was the one who took care of everything - my entire household, everything. I cannot do anything with just one arm. I have 16 stitches on my head. I want justice. Please pray for my recovery. And he must be punished," she added.
Meanwhile, the accused fled the scene amid the commotion. He was subsequently arrested.
The survivor's family has raised concerns over the police investigation, alleging that the section dealing with attempted murder was not included in the case. They also met leaders of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), seeking their intervention.
The police have assured the family that the relevant sections will be added to the case soon.
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