Chennai: Man arrested for masturbating in front of woman in local train – The Indian Express

The accused has been identified as Lakshmanan, a resident of Meenamabakkam. He was arrested from Chrompet and handed over to the Tambaram railway police and a case was registered under section 354-A (sexual harassment) of the IPC.

After the incident, the woman, a journalist who works with a popular Tamil YouTube channel, complained to the railway police, St Thomas Mount.

As per the complaint, the woman boarded the local train around 9.40 pm. After the train crossed the Pallavaram station, she noticed the accused sitting in the ladies’ compartment and masturbating in front of her. She recorded a video of the incident on her mobile phone and confronted the man. When the train reached the Chrompet station, he got down and ran away, she said in the complaint.

Based on the information given by the woman, the police traced and arrested the accused.

Meanwhile, the woman posted a video on YouTube sharing the incident recorded by her and demanding stronger security measures in trains for the safety of women.

“A guy was seen masturbating in front of me despite seeing my identity card and knowing that I work in the media. First of all, he shouldn’t have gotten into a ladies compartment, and then how dare he commit such an act? As I shouted, he jumped and left the compartment, What could have happened if he was accompanied by four or five other men and I was alone? At least after this incident, the government should initiate action. CCTV cameras should be installed inside ladies compartments or a guard should be present at night. If you come across any such incident, shout out, there is nothing to be ashamed of. This will give more awareness to the rest of the other women,” she said in the video.