A CRPF jawan, who was on his way to a railway station to catch a train to return to his unit after performing poll duty, allegedly trespassed into a house in north Calcutta and was arrested on the charge of molesting a woman.
He was caught on the spot and handed over to the police by neighbours, officers said.
The police said the alleged incident happened around 2.30am on Monday, when the accused jawan, Niranjan Pradhan, allegedly walked away and asked his colleagues to proceed towards Kolkata railway station, telling them he would join them soon.
“He was in an intoxicated state. The team was marching towards the railway station to catch a train. But this man got separated from the unit and sneaked into a house off BT Road whose door was open and the lights were off,” said an officer at Chitpore police station.
Soon, screams of the womenfolk inside the house alerted neighbours and the CRPF jawan was allegedly caught on the spot.
Pradhan, originally from Odisha, had performed election duty in Bengal and was last posted in Baruipur, during the seventh phase of the elections on June 1.
The police said it was learned that the house which Pradhan had allegedly entered did not have power supply because of non-payment of electricity bills. So, the main door open was kept open to let in air.
Soon after Pradhan was detained and taken to Chitpore police station, his superiors in the central force were alerted and he was arrested.
A senior officer of Kolkata Police said Pradhan has been booked under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including the one on outrage of modesty of a woman.
He was produced in court on Monday and remanded in judicial custody till
June 7.
“His colleagues who were part of the team have left the city,” said the officer.
Sources at Chitpore police station said they have learned from the central force that similar allegations had been raised against Pradhan in other states, too.
Pradhan’s team was one of those that have left the state after the elections.
Another 60 companies of central forces will remain in Calcutta and its adjoining areas till the counting of votes is over.
