The Government Railway Police arrested a 34-year-old man within 24 hours of registering a case after a 13-year-old schoolgirl was allegedly groped at Masjid railway station in Mumbai, according to a report by the Times of India. Police used CCTV footage from the station and nearby areas to identify the suspect, who was later produced before a court.
The incident took place on October 12 after the girl had attended school for an examination. At about 10.45 am, she was returning home and was walking on the foot overbridge connecting platforms 1 and 2 of the Harbour Line station when the accused allegedly approached her through the crowd and groped her, the report said.
According to the report, the man then followed the girl towards her home in Pydhonie. She told her mother about the incident, after which they approached Pydhonie police station. A case of molestation was registered before the investigation was transferred to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Government Railway Police for further action.
Senior Inspector Sambhaji Katare formed investigation teams after the transfer. Officers examined CCTV footage from Masjid railway station and cameras in areas outside railway premises. Police obtained images of the suspect walking towards Musafirkhana and circulated the footage during inquiries in the surrounding neighbourhood, the report said.
The suspect was identified as Rakesh Gaud, 34, who police said lived in Govandi. Investigators subsequently took him into custody and produced him before a court. The report did not state the court’s order or the next hearing date.
The case highlights the operational role of railway policing in incidents that begin inside a station but may continue across the boundary of railway property. In this investigation, officers reviewed footage from the station as well as nearby areas while conducting neighbourhood inquiries to establish the suspect’s identity. Further proceedings will depend on the court process and the evidence submitted by investigators.
