Railway employee accused of molesting minor beaten to death
A railway employee was allegedly beaten to death by passengers and family members of an 11-year-old girl he is accused of sexually assaulting. The incident occurred on the Humsafar Express train from Barauni Bihar to New Delhi early Thursday morning. The victim's family, hailing from Siwan, had boarded the train on Wednesday night when Prashant Kumar, a Group D railway employee, reportedly molested the young girl after making her sit on his seat.
Family and passengers retaliate against alleged molester
The assault was reported by the girl to her mother, who then informed her husband, father-in-law, and other passengers in the M1 (AC III tier economy) coach. The train was passing through Aishbagh junction in Lucknow when enraged passengers and family members confronted Kumar. They reportedly beat him near the coach doors until they reached Kanpur Central, approximately an hour and a half later.
Family reactions and police statements post-incident
Following the incident, the girl's family filed a sexual assault complaint while Kumar's family lodged a murder complaint. Kumar's uncle, Pawan, expressed disbelief over his nephew's death, suggesting a possible conspiracy behind it. He questioned the absence of Railway Police Force personnel during the prolonged beating. Superintendent of Police Abhishek Yadav confirmed that "When the train crossed Aishbagh, the girl said she had been molested... At Kanpur Central, [Kumar] was handed over to GRP and a complaint was filed."
Legal proceedings and national context of the incident
Kumar, a 34-year-old railway contract laborer, was posthumously charged under section 74 (criminal force to any woman intending to outrage her modesty) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. A post-mortem was conducted by a panel of three doctors before his body was returned to his family. This incident comes amid nationwide outrage over sexual violence, following the rape and murder of a doctor inside Kolkata's RG Kar hospital.
