Mumbai/Kolkata, Jul 28 (Agencies): A 23-year-old woman was attacked on the women’s coach of a local train in Mumbai on Saturday morning by a man who tried to strangle her when she resisted a rape attempt.

The 28-year-old man was arrested by the Government Railway Police (GRP) on the charges of molesting and attempting to murder the woman after she cried out for help when the train stopped at a station.

According to the GRP, the victim had boarded the train at 5:41am on Saturday morning from Mumbai Central station and she was heading towards her office in Dadar.

“The accused got into the compartment at Mahalaxmi station and after seeing the victim alone misbehaved with her and attempted to rape her. When the victim removed her mobile to call for help, the accused tried to strangulate her,” Senior Inspector GRP Rajendra Trivedi said.

When the train pulled into the next station, Lower Parel, the victim cried out for help after which commuters standing on the platform and the GRP personnel nabbed the accused.

“The accused identified as Devraj Hanumant Kanapa was inebriated. He is a resident of suburban Kurla and is a mason. The accused has been taken for medical examination after which he would be produced before a magistrate court for remand,” Trivedi said.

He has been charged under Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 354 (outraging modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code.

Asked as to why there was no police officer present in the ladies compartment, which is mandatory as per rules, Trivedi said an inquiry is being conducted. “A constable attached with GRP Borivili, who was supposed to be on duty, has been suspended for dereliction of duty,” he said.

Preliminary investigation has also revealed that Devraj has two cases of chain snatching registered against him in Kalyan.

Meanwhile, a youth who allegedly tried to molest a woman on a moving train in West Bengal and later forced her to jump out, was arrested on Saturday, police said.

Debshankar Shaw, 36, was arrested at Uttarpara in Hooghly district on the basis of a sketch based on the description of the accused given by the victim. The 25-year-old had to be admitted to city nursing home for serious injuries she sustained from the fall near Belur station last Sunday.

“The sketch helped us a lot. We also had activated our sources and deployed men solely to track him down,” said Additional Director-General (Rail) Amar Kanti Sarkar.

Shaw was later presented in the Howrah Court, which sent him to police custody for a week. The police said Shaw had criminal antecedents and efforts were on to recover the mobile phone he had snatched from the woman, who is employed with an IT major in the city.