Vellore pregnant woman pushed from train case: Hemaraj gets rigorous life imprisonment

The District and Sessions Court on Monday convicted history-sheeter K. Hemaraj and sentenced him to undergo rigorous life imprisonment for pushing a pregnant woman off a moving train near Katpadi when she resisted a sexual assault attempt in February.

Judge S. Meenakumari delivered the verdict, sentencing Hemaraj to undergo rigorous life imprisonment besides imposing a fine of ₹85,000. The Judge also directed the Ministry of Railways and the State government to pay a compensation of ₹50 lakh each to the survivor.

The compensation should be deposited within a month. The court, in its ruling, also said that all future medical expenses of the survivor, if required, should be fully borne by the State government. “A total of 22 witnesses, including the survivor were examined for the case. All charges filed against Hemaraj have been proved,” Public Prosecutor (PP) P.T. Saravanan told The Hindu.

Police said that on February 6, a 36-year-old pregnant woman was pushed off a moving train near Katpadi in Vellore, when she resisted an attempt of Hemaraj, 27, to sexually assault her. He was arrested by the Government Railway Police (GRP), Jolarpet, in connection with the incident.

The police said the woman, who was four months pregnant, had been living with her family in Tiruppur. Owing to her pregnancy, she was travelling to her mother’s house and boarded the Coimbatore-Tirupati Intercity Express alone on the said day.

The police said the accused person, Hemaraj, of Pooncholai near K.V. Kuppam in Vellore, boarded the ladies compartment of the train at Jolarpet. As she was alone in the compartment, he attempted to sexually assault her, she said. When she resisted his attempt, Hemaraj allegedly fractured her right hand and pushed her towards the entrance. Though she held onto the handle, she fell down after losing her grip and became unconscious.

The police said the incident occurred at around 11.30 a.m. near the K.V. Kuppam station. A few railway workers rescued the woman, who was admitted to the Government Medical College and Hospital in Vellore.

The police said the accused was freed on conditional bail a few months ago in a case of murder of a 29-year-old woman from Chennai in April 2024. He is also facing another case, registered by the GRP, Jolarpet, in 2022 for pushing a woman commuter off a moving train after snatching her mobile phone. He was also charged under the Goondas Act twice.