AHMEDABAD: A 35-year-old disabled man was thrown off a moving train near Jamnagar after confronting two intruders who has unlawfully entered a coach reserved for disabled passengers.
The victim, identified as Hitesh Mistry of Vadodara, was returning home from Porbandar on Tuesday night, accompanied by a disabled friend with the Saurashtra Express.
According to Jamnagar railway police, the altercation unfolded between Porbandar and Jamnagar when the duo, identified as Haji Ayyub Kachhiya and Saddam Kasam, entered the specially designated coach.
When Mistry objected to their presence, a heated argument broke out. The confrontation quickly escalated as the accused reportedly assaulted Mistry and, moments later, pushed him off the moving train before it reached Hapa station. As the violence erupted, Mistry's friend, also a disabled passenger, got down at Jamnagar station to seek help. However, unable to find a police official before the train resumed its journey, he was forced to re-board another compartment.
Upon reaching Hapa, he rushed back to the special coach only to find Mistry and the two men missing. Alarmed, he alerted railway police at Hapa and filed a formal complaint. A few hours later, on Wednesday morning, Mistry’s body was found under the Gulabnagar railway over-bridge near Jamnagar city.
While the attack occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, authorities acted swiftly. By Thursday, police had arrested Haji Ayyub Kachhiya. Inspector Bharti Vegda confirmed the sequence of events and described the assault as brutal.
“A case was registered at Jamnagar Railway Police Station yesterday. As per the complaint, a disabled person was travelling on the Saurashtra Express when, between Porbandar and Jamnagar, two men entered the special coach,” said investigating officer Bharti Vegda. “When Mistry objected, they got into a quarrel with him, assaulted him, and pushed him off the moving train, which led to his death.”
She said, “One of the accused, Haji Ayyub Kachhiya, was arrested immediately at Hapa station, while the second accused, Saddam Kasam, initially fled but was caught within a few hours of the case being registered. Both are currently in police custody and further investigation is underway,” she added.
The incident has sparked outrage, raising urgent concerns over the safety of disabled passengers on long-distance trains.