Andhra Home Guard held for molesting minor girl in moving train

Hyderabad, May 29: An Andhra Pradesh Home Guard was arrested in Telangana on Wednesday for allegedly molesting a minor girl in a moving train from Tirupati to Kacheguda station in Hyderabad, a railway police official said.

Home Guard T. Prathap, deployed at Kodur police station in Andhra Pradesh, was arrested on a complaint by the victim’s father.

The complainant, a resident of Hyderabad, said that he, along with his wife and 15-year-old daughter, travelled from Tirupati to Kacheguda by the Venkatadri Express (Chittoor-Kacheguda) on Tuesday. He told police that his daughter was sleeping on the side upper berth while his wife was on the side lower berth, and he noticed in the moving train that Prathap, who was in uniform, insulted the modesty of the girl by touching her private parts.

The accused was also travelling ticketless.

The Railway Police Kacheguda registered a case under Sections 354 of the Indian Penal Code, 9 r/w 10 of the POCSO Act, 2012, and 147 of the Railway Act.

Inspector R.Yellappa of Railway Police Station, Kachiguda, arrested accused Prathap, 43, a native of Railway Kodur in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh and presently staying at Venkatreddy Nagar in Ramanthapur, Hyderabad. The accused will be produced before the court for judicial custody.