Mumbai stampede: Police find allegations of molestation untrue, say bystander’s intention was to save victim

Visuals from the Elphinstone stampede

Amid reports that a woman victim of the stampede at Elphinstone Road railway station was allegedly molested by a bystander, seconds before she died, the Mumbai Police on Tuesday stated that they have probed the allegations of molestation and found it to be untrue.

According to a senior official, the man accused of molesting the woman was actually trying to help her. “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,” said the official.

https://t.co/uOM6PPEWm7 @maharailways @rpfcrbb @rpfwrbct @RailMinIndia @the_hindu pic.twitter.com/5klcqBUHMV

— vedika chaubey (@vedikachaubey) October 1, 2017

ACP Sunil Deshmukh also confirmed the same.

ALSO READ: Elphinstone Road Station stampede: Ghatkopar man succumbs to injuries, death toll rises to 23

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Earlier, it was alleged that the bystander was seen molesting the stampede victim. The video of the incident has been circulating on social media.

In a deadly rush-hour stampede, 23 three passengers were killed and 36 others were injured which occurred on a narrow foot overbridge linking the Elphinstone Road railway station to Parel station on September 29.