Kannur: A Railway Protection Force (RPF) officer was assaulted by a man at the Kannur railway station late on Monday night after being woken up while sleeping outside the ladies’ waiting room on the platform, police said on Tuesday.

The accused, Sasidharan, an ex-serviceman currently working as a temporary railway gatekeeper at Uppala in Kasaragod district, was taken into custody and later arrested.

The incident occurred around 11.45 pm at Kannur railway station when the on-duty RPF officer had woken up the accused to tell him to take care of his bag and phone, which were kept a little away from him, so that they don't get stolen. "However, without any provocation, the accused attacked the officer on duty, bit him, tore his uniform and damaged his body cam worth ₹15,000," an officer of Kannur Railway police station said.

He has been booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for causing hurt using grievous means, wrongful restraint, and use of obscene language, and also under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, police added. An investigation into the incident is underway.