Woman''s condition deteriorates, man held being interrogated

Thrissur (Ker), Feb 3 (PTI) The condition of the23-year-old woman who suffered severe injuries after beingallegedly raped in a running train deteriorated further today.

There were conflicting versions about the incidentwith reports that the woman jumped out of the train to escapefrom the man but another theory was that she was pushed out byhim before jumping with her and allegedly committing thecrime.

Police said the man from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu wasbeing questioned but refused to give further details.

The woman''s condition had further deteriorated and shecontinues to be on ventilator, sources at Thrissur Medicalcollege, where she has been admitted, said.

K J Joy, Divisional Security Commissioner of RailwayProtection Force (RPF), Thiruvananthapuram, told PTI thatfollowing the incident, it has been decided to provide RPFescort in the women''s compartment in liaison with the Railwaypolice. A woman constable and two male constables would beposted in the ladies compartment.

He said the guard had informed that a woman had fallendown from the train following which a search was made and shewas found in a serious condition with head injuries.

The woman, working in a private firm in Kochi, wasreturning home for a marriage proposal when the incident tookplace. The train was deserted after it left Thrissur station.

A man, who got into the moving train as it left Valltholnagarstation, is alleged to have raped her.

She was found lying on the tracks betweenVallatholnagar and Shornur stations. She had head injuries, afractured skull and bleeding in the brain.

Meanwhile, angry commuters of the Guruvayur-ErnakulamPush-pull passenger train staged a dharna today in theErnakulam North railway station protesting against theincident.

They said the passenger trains were deliberately beingdelayed to clear express trains. Thousands of women commuterstravel by passenger trains to reach their place of work andreturn and by delaying the trains railways was endangeringtheir lives, they said and demanded strong action against theculprit.

The Railways claimed that guards of trains, RPF andGovernment Railway Police staff regularly attend to the ladiescoaches on their arrival, departure, at stations during thejourney to ensure security to the passengers.

Crime prevention and detection squads of RPF arefunctional round the clock covering important trains andRailways stations to prevent and detect crime againstpassengers and special attention was also being given toladies coaches, a railway official said.