THANE: A gritty fashion design student from Mumbai single-handedly faced a man who allegedly harassed her aboard a long-distance train on Sunday night and ensured his arrest on Monday. She reportedly remained undeterred even though both the Ratnagiri and Chiplun RPF did not register her complaint. She finally managed to file the case at Thane-which is at least five hours from Ratnagiri. In the meantime, she managed to hunt down the accused who panicked and hid himself in a toilet on the train.

The incident took place at 10.30pm on Sunday on the Mangalore-Mumbai Mastyagandha Express. Vikhroli's Kanchan Salkar (20) boarded the S2 compartment of the train from Kudal, near Goa border.

The accused, Abdul Qadar Sahib (28), a resident of Kundapura near Udipi, who was already seated near her, allegedly tried to befriend her and made inappropriate comments.

"After I boarded the compartment, this man came up to me and started conversing with me and kept on offering me a cigarette. When I had had enough, I called up the railway police," said Salkar. She called a journalist friend in Mumbai who suggested she inform the railway helpline. Though a constable entered the coach at the next halt in Ratnagiri, Salkar alleged he suggested she file a complaint with Chiplun police. The cop promised to inform his counterpart in Chiplun, but he, too, did not register a case.

Vaishali Patange , CPRO of Konkan Railway, denied the allegations and said the police responded to the complaint. "An RPF constable boarded at Chiplun but the passenger said she didn't want to file any complaint. Nonetheless, we will again check the incident and ask for a proper report from the RPF."

Salkar began to look for the accused by herself and found him in the S8 coach toilet. She informed her acquaintances who helped her pin him down till Panvel. Sahib was charged under sections 509, 292(2) of Indian Penal Code and presented before Kalyan court on Monday.

