A 40-year-old man from Kollam, Kerala, has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor girl on the Palaruvi Express train. The incident took place in the early hours of Thursday while the girl was traveling with her grandfather, returning to Tenkasi in Tamil Nadu after a pilgrimage to Edathua Church. The accused reportedly took the sleeping girl to his seat and assaulted her. A nearby passenger witnessed the act and raised an alarm, prompting the accused to flee at Sengottai in Tamil Nadu. Following the incident, police recorded statements from the victim and her family, leading to the identification and arrest of the accused, who works at a chicken shop. He has been charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and has been remanded to 15 days of judicial custody.