Elphinstone Stampede: Molestation Allegation Is False, Says Police

The Mumbai Police, after investigation, said that the intention of the man was to save her and not molest her.

Stampede breaks out at Elphinstone station’s foot-over-bridge.

(Photo: IANS)

Following reports that a woman victim of the stampede at Elphinstone Road railway station was allegedly molested by a bystander, minutes before she succumbed to death, the Mumbai Police on Tuesday confirmed that the allegations were untrue after a probe.

The Hindu, which first reported the alleged incident, has issued an apology stating that “the perusal of the clip did not warrant such a conclusion.”

Speaking to The Indian Express, a senior official from the Mumbai Police said that investigation confirmed that the man was actually trying to help the woman.

The victim got stuck in between the railing of the bridge. The commuter tried to drag her out. He rested her body on his foot and was trying to pull her and grabbed her by her chest. His intention was to save her and not molest her.

Police Official

Video of Alleged Molestation Goes Viral

As if the stampede incident in Mumbai’s Elphinstone station that led to the death of 23 people wasn’t shocking enough, a video recently surfaced on the internet from the incident showing a man groping a woman victim dying under a pile of bodies.

In the video, she can be seen flailing her hand trying to reach for help, when an unidentified man takes the opportunity to lightly graze his hands over her body without actually helping her. In seconds her hands fall motionlessly, although it cannot be confirmed if the woman died or survived. If she couldn’t make it, she spent her last few seconds being a victim of not only the stampede but also deep-seated misogyny.

Mumbai Police Investigates Video

Mumbai police is inquiring into this incident of molestation and have collected more CCTV footages to assess the truth.

As of now, we have taken the statements of over 35 people in the stampede case. We are also investigating the truth of the viral video in which a person is seen allegedly taking advantage of a trapped woman. We are looking for the guy seen in the video. We have several other videos; once the person is identified, we will know the truth.

Rajiv Jain, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 5 told Mid-Day.

The incident did not just expose the worst of Mumbai’s basic infrastructure and an inactive government administration, but also the lack of empathy of Mumbaikers towards their own people. While some helped, others molested and stole from the victims.

Jayshree Kanade, who was at Parel station when the stampede occurred, told The Hindu “Many people stole purses and gold ornaments from women victims.”

Sunil Deskhmukh, assistant commissioner of police told Hindustan Times, “We are studying the video recordings and investigating the cases of thefts and molestation reported to us.”