College girl harassed at Taramani MRTS station

Three employees, including a railway booking clerk, allegedly harassed a college girl and her male friend on Saturday evening at the Taramani MRTS railway station. One of the accused, a lift operator, also attempted to molest the girl. However, she was rescued after a commuter informed the police regarding the incident.

The victims, who are from Kozhikode in Kerala, are students of a fashion institute in the city. They were waiting at the Taramani MRTS station to board a train to Tirumayilai station. While they were on the second platform, R Lucas (21) of Taramani, who works as a lift operator in the station on contract, approached them. He claimed to be an RPF personnel and threatened them.

He later took them to the ticket counter where the clerk R Logeshwaran (25) of Kolathur joined him. They also called Sriram, the lift operator in Velachery MRTS station over phone, who also reached the spot within minutes.

All three surrounded the victims and demanded Rs 5,000. They also threatened to call their parents to the police station if they failed to pay. While the girl gave them Rs 1,000 and pleaded to leave them, Lucas took her to a secluded area on the first floor of the station and tried to molest her. The girl’s friend was threatened and asked to stay near the ticket counter with the two other accused.

Saravanan, a collectorate staffer from Ariyalur, who witnessed the incident, confronted Lucas. However, Logeshwaran and Sriram attacked him as well. Saravanan escaped from them and alerted the police control room.

A team immediately rushed to the spot and arrested Logeshwaran and Lucas. Sriram escaped from the spot and a hunt has been launched for him, said sources. “If Saravanan didn’t call us on time, the girl could have been raped,” said a police officer, who arrested the two suspects after investigation.