Chennai: A policeman has been suspended in Tamil Nadu after a law student accused him of sexual abuse aboard the Chennai-Coimbatore Intercity Express.
The young woman said that the cop, a head constable who was a fellow passenger, allegedly touched her inappropriately.
The accused, identified as Sheikh Abdullah, was travelling on the train after completing security duty in Chennai.
The policeman harassed the woman, who was travelling alone, when the train was nearing Katpadi.
The student recorded the incident on her mobile phone and later lodged a formal complaint with Railway police.
Acting on the complaint, RPF intercepted Abdullah at Arakkonam railway station and detained him.
According to officials, the video footage provided by the complainant clearly substantiated her allegation.
Police registered a case of sexual harassment against the head constable.
Because of seriousness of the charge, senior police officials ordered immediate suspension of Abdullah from his posting at R.S. Puram police station.
The incident has sparked widespread shock and outrage, raising serious concerns over passenger safety, especially as it involves a serving police personnel.
With Assembly elections due in the first half of 2026, law-and-order situation in the southern state will be a key campaign issue as the ruling DMK-Congress face the AIADMK-BJP alliance, with actor-politician Vijay’s TVK being the dark horse.
