The accused -- identified as a cabbie from Byculla, Rafiq Khan -- and the victim were known to each other and he owed her money over which they had an alteration in the train.
The incident occurred around 11 p.m. on Thursday. A handicapped commuter on an adjoining seat shot a video of the entire incident.
Lasting a few minutes, the video has gone viral on social media. It also spurred the police into immediate action.
Khan, 32, is seen suddenly pouncing on the woman sitting on the opposite seat in the handicapped compartment. He then drags her by the hair and attempts to strangle her.
He molested her and tore off her clothes even as other co-commuters raised an alarm to alert a policeman in the adjoining compartment of the speeding train.
When she resisted and pushed him off her, he fell on the train floor, but got up and again lunged at the woman on the seat as she screamed for help.
According to Government Railway Police Dadar Senior Inspector Nitin Bobde, the woman had lend money to her attacker on a friendly basis as she had known him over a few years.
Late on Thursday, they caught the suburban train from Dombivali, Thane bound for CSMT and en route, the victim demanded her money back from Khan and asked him to stop harassing her.
Apparently angered by this, Khan abused, molested and attacked her in full public view even as the train was approaching Dadar station.
A GRP police team waiting at Dadar took Khan into custody as he deboarded. After a complaint registered by the victim, Khan was arrested early on Friday.
(This story has not been edited by Social News XYZ staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
