New Age | Passenger raped on moving train, 3 catering workers arrested

Railway police on Wednesday arrested three employees of the catering service of Bangladesh Railway for allegedly raping a woman passenger in a moving train, the Udayan Express, on the Sylhet-Chattogram route in the early hours of the morning.

The arrested were sent to jail by a court in Chattogram, railway officials said.

The railway authorities suspended the train driver because of his negligence.

They have also suspended all Ms SA Corporation services on two trains on which they operate.

Commercial Manager of Railways (Eastern Zone) Md Mahbubur Rahman quoted Chattogram Railway Police as saying that the train departed from Sylhet at 10pm on Tuesday and the incident occurred at around 4am near the catering service room as it was passing through Laksham area.

The woman did not have a ticket, he said.

Police came to know about the incident after the train reached Chattogram in the morning. They arrested the trio and took the victim to a crisis centre, Mahbubur said.

“We have suspended the conductor as he was not aware of the incident,” he said, adding that they have suspended the catering service provider’s activities on the Udayan and Paharika Express trains indefinitely.

A committee of inquiry will be set up soon, he said, adding that police authorities are in the process of filing charges under the Prevention of Oppression of Women and Children Act.