Bhubaneswar, Jan. 5: A 45-year-old woman today moved the state commission for women to report her November 5 ordeal on a train where she was allegedly sexually assaulted by a chief judicial magistrate.

Jhum Mohanty told the commission that she had filed a case against the magistrate, who had identified himself as Shantanu Rajguru on the train, at the government railway police (GRP) station in Bhubaneswar and it was later transferred to Rayagada.

But she alleged no action had been taken against Rajguru since the police station was yet to receive a court order permitting it to do so.

Mohanty said on November 5 last year she had boarded the Hirakud Express from Damanjodi to attend her mother-in-law’s funeral. A co-passenger introduced himself as Shantanu Rajguru, the chief judicial magistrate of Nabarnagpur, and began talking to her.

“I did not like the manner (in which) he was talking and wanted to avoid him,” said Jhum, the wife of a high-ranking Nalco officer.

“I knew the person wasn’t okay when he started to get closer by whispering in my ears. After dinner, when I returned from the wash room, he had already made the bed for me (on the lower berth) and said he enjoyed doing it for a beautiful woman. As I continued to avoid him, he started singing songs and pretended to talk filthy over the phone,” Jhum added.

“In the middle of the night, I woke up to find Rajguru on my berth fondling me. After shouting at him, he retired to his berth (middle) but continued to harass me by using his hands. I then raised an alarm.”

It was then that co-passengers came to her rescue.

Some of them gave their statements to the commission chairperson Namita Panda today. “We had been noticing his activities and reprimanded him. We asked him to apologise but he was adamant,” said Mritunjaya Dash, a witness.

“When the TTE intervened, Rajguru slapped him thrice and threatened to snatch away his job. Then, he threw Rs 5,000 all over the train and said he was supreme,” Dash added.

Jhum’s husband, B.N. Mohanty, said the wife of the accused approached them after the case was lodged.

U.K. Singh of the Rayagada GRP conceded that no action had been taken on Mohanty’s complaint. “Despite all the witnesses who are in favour of Jhum, we cannot arrest the magistrate till we have an order from the court,” he said.

Rajguru has now lodged a counter-case against Mohanty accusing her of stealing his mobile and wallet.