A woman, unauthorised vendor who sells popcorn on train, was raped in a moving train on Saturday. (Representational Image)

Bhopal: A 23-year-old woman vendor was allegedly raped onboard a passenger train when it was passing Bherkhera area under Bhopal railway division of the West Central Railway, a GRP official said on Sunday.

The incident occurred in a toilet of a sleeper coach of Amarkantak Express (Durg-Bhopal) on Saturday.

"The woman is an unauthorised vendor who sells popcorn on train," Habibganj Government Railway Police (GRP) incharge sub-inspector BL Sen said.

The woman hails from Budhni in Sehore district of the state.

He said the accused has been identified as Jitu, 25, who hails from Bhopal.

The man was arrested on Monday.

"The woman reached Bhopal yesterday (Saturday) but returned to her home in Budhni last (Saturday) evening without lodging a complaint as the accused had threatened her of dire consequences," Sen said.

After the woman confided in her husband, the latter lodged a primary complaint with the Budhni police station which was eventually shifted to Habibganj, the officer said.

"We have registered an FIR and booked the accused today under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the IPC and have launched a hunt to arrest him," the SI added.