Thrissur12 September (H.S.) :Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman passenger aboard the Nizamuddin Express, railway police said.

The accused has been identified as Shiju, a native of Kadakkal in Kollam district. He was taken into custody by the Shoranur Railway Police after the train reached Shoranur.

The incident reportedly occurred around 3.30 p.m. on Friday while the train was travelling between Thrissur and Vallathol Nagar. According to the complaint, the TTE allegedly touched the woman's private parts while she was travelling in a reserved coach.

The woman was travelling with her husband, but the couple had been allotted seats at different locations in the coach. The accused allegedly approached the woman during the journey and subjected her to sexual misconduct.

Police said the TTE, who is attached to the Thiruvananthapuram railway division, was allegedly heavily intoxicated at the time of the incident. The woman immediately informed her husband and alerted the railway police about the alleged assault.

Following the complaint, railway police personnel coordinated with officials at Shoranur and intercepted the accused when the train arrived at the station. He was subsequently detained and formally placed under arrest.

The railway police recorded the woman's statement and initiated further legal proceedings against the TTE. Investigators are also expected to obtain statements from her husband and other passengers who were present in the coach at the time.

Officials are examining whether the accused was on duty during the journey and how he allegedly consumed alcohol while working aboard the train. The Railways is also expected to initiate departmental action based on the police report and the findings of an internal inquiry.

Further investigation into the incident is under way.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman