Udupi: In yet another alarming incident highlighting the rising sexual assault on women in Karnataka, the Manipal Police swiftly arrested a 22-year-old man from Bhatkal within 24 hours of an attempted rape of a young woman aboard a train. The accused, identified as Mohammed Shuraim, was apprehended after a thorough investigation, which underscored the growing concerns about women’s safety in public spaces.
The incident occurred during the morning hours of August 25 when a young woman, originally from Manipal in Udupi taluk and now employed at an IT company in Bengaluru, was traveling to Udupi for the Krishna Janmashtami celebrations. The journey, which began on Saturday night, turned nightmarish when Shuraim, a fellow passenger on the Murdeshwar Express, began behaving inappropriately towards the woman as the train approached its destination.
According to the police, the assault took place just half an hour before the train was due to arrive in Udupi. Shuraim attempted to rape the woman, but she managed to resist and immediately raised an objection. The accused, realising the gravity of his actions, hastily apologized, but the young woman did not hesitate to report the incident. She promptly informed the Udupi Railway Police and also lodged a complaint through the Railway Madad app, a move that proved crucial in ensuring swift action.
The police faced the daunting task of identifying the accused among the hundreds of passengers on the train. Over a thousand people were traveling on the Murdeshwar Express that weekend, making it a challenging investigation. However, the Manipal Police, working diligently, managed to narrow down the list of suspects through a meticulous three-stage process.
First, they obtained the details of all passengers who had travelled on the train that night. Then, using clues provided by the victim, they created a shortlist of potential suspects. The breakthrough came when the police discovered that the accused had disembarked at Bhatkal. This led them to scrutinize CCTV footage from the station and cross-reference it with passenger records. The careful and precise operation culminated in Shuraim’s arrest at his residence in Bhatkal, bringing a sense of relief to the victim and her family.
This incident is part of a troubling trend in Karnataka, where cases of sexual assault against women are on the rise. Despite various measures taken by law enforcement and public safety campaigns, women continue to face significant threats to their safety, particularly in public spaces like trains, buses, and even on the streets. The attempted rape on the Murdeshwar Express is a grim reminder of the vulnerabilities that women still face, regardless of the time or place.
