Rape in train shocks Mumbai

If the rape of a child in a railway compartment on Tuesday night left half a dozen men numb with shock as they witnessed the ghastly incident, the city's residents are even more stunned that none of them could do anything to stop it.

A popular city newspaper reported that a 12-year-old mentally challenged and mute girl, travelling in a second class compartment of a Borivli-bound train on the Western Railway was sexually assaulted by a youth.

22-year-old Salim Khan, who has confessed to the crime to the railway police, entered the train in an inebriated condition and started assaulting the girl even as the five or six male passengers – including a journalist – sitting in different places in the compartment realised what was happening.

The first hand news report states, "What we saw left us numb. Salim had pulled the girl to the floor and was raping her. Burdened with our middle class sensibilities, we remained silent."

Apparently, the culprit got down at Borivli where he was handed over to the police by the passengers. The girl on the other hand was spotted after some time on the stairs of the pedestrian bridge at the Borivli station crying and looking frightened.

Police have asked children's homes for the mentally disabled to help out in ascertaining her mental health.

After the medical examination of the victim and accused, the girl has been sent to the Dongri Children's Home.

When asked about the safety of the railways, Rakesh Maria, railway police chief, told Gulf News, "You have to keep in mind that this did not happen in the ladies compartment where we have armed constables guarding it from 8 pm to 8am.

"We have not had a single incident in the last two years due to the presence of these policemen. There are 1,980 local suburban trips in a day and with nine coaches in each of these trains that ply on different rail routes, we couldn't possibly provide security to each one.

"In this case, too, our constables nabbed the culprit immediately," he says.

Maria is shocked and surprised that none of the men could come to the assistance of the girl. "They could have at least pulled the chain to stop the train."

However, one of the witnesses, Vasant Kulai, has reportedly said that there were at least seven persons in the train and none of them pulled the chain as they felt the rapist would escape.

Moreover, they feared that the rapist would be carrying a weapon and could attack them as he had threatened one of the witnesses who told him to stop.

Says Maria, "This is a city where the people are protective towards the women and we pride ourselves on their safety."

However, one clinical psychologist in Chembur commented, "This is probably one incident which has come to light to the public. We don't really know what must be happening to helpless young girls who have no family support."