BHOPAL: Two Congress MLAs from Madhya Pradesh were booked on Friday for allegedly molesting a 32-year-old woman on board a train, a charge refuted by the two legislators, a police official said.
Suneel Saraf and Siddharth Kushwaha, MLAs from Kotma in Anuppur and Satna, respectively, have been accused of holding the woman's hand and asking her to dine with them on board the train that was on its way from Rewa to Bhopal, Sub Inspector Pramod Ahirwar of Sagar railway police told PTI over phone.
"The woman has said she was asleep along with her 8-month-old child in H1 coach of the train when the two legislators came, held her by the hand and asked her to dine with them. She has said Saraf and Kushwaha were talking loudly and disturbing her," Ahirwar said.
She spoke to her husband, who is an advocate, and the latter contacted Jabalpur railway police, he said, adding that the alleged incident took place when the Rewanchal Express was between Katni and Damoh stations.
"At around 1am, when the train reached Sagar, a sub inspector and two constables entered the coach in connection with the complaint. We have booked Saraf and Kushwaha under Indian Penal Code section 354 (assaults or uses criminal force to any woman, intending to outrage or knowing it to be likely that he will there by outrage her modesty)," Ahirwar informed.
Kushwaha told PTI the woman's complaint was untrue.
"I told her to continue using the berth. I have not pulled the woman's hand," Kushwaha said.
Saraf, who boarded the train at Katni, told PTI the woman's allegations were untrue and said they had dinner in dim light to ensure the woman was not disturbed.