LUCKNOW: In tragic incident, a GRP constable lost both his legs as he was run over by a train while trying to catch a thief escaping from police custody at Gonda railway station in Uttar Pradesh.
Both his legs were severed in the incident.
As per the local sources, the incident took place past Tuesday midnight. Despite being critically injured, constable Akash Singh (29) managed to catch the accused Sunil Kumar (35).
Hearing the commotion, GRP personnel and members of the public rushed to the spot and helped overpower the accused.
Akash, a resident of Mau, was first rushed to Gonda Medical College where he was given the primary treatment and referred to Lucknow Trauma Centre in a critical state. His condition is still critical, says the police sources.
According to GRP sources, a fight broke out between two youths on Platform No. 1 at around 11:30 pm on Tuesday. One of them accused Sunil Kumar of stealing money from his pocket. Constable Akash Singh, who was on duty, reached the spot and took both men outside the GRP station for questioning. After interrogation, one was let off, while Sunil Kumar was detained on suspicion. Soon after, the Dibrugarh–Chandigarh Express (15903), heading towards Lucknow, arrived at Platform No. 1.
At that moment, Sunil Kumar suddenly broke free from the constable and tried to escape by boarding the moving train. Akash chased him, caught hold of him from behind while he was boarding, and pulled him down. During the scuffle with the moving train, the constable fell into the gap between the train and the platform and both his legs were severed. The GRP station is situated about 50 metres from the spot.
Hearing the screams, police personnel and locals rushed in, stopped the train and pulled the constable out. The accused was also injured and later admitted to the district hospital. However, the doctors at Gonda Medical College said that reattaching the severed leg was not possible due to the extent of the injury. A prosthetic limb may be required, and part of the leg is missing. He was referred to Lucknow in a critical condition.
GRP in-charge Dinesh Kumar Pandey said the accused was arrested and was undergoing treatment at the district hospital. CCTV footage is being examined and an investigation is underway. Akash Singh, a 2018-batch constable from Mau district, had been posted in Gonda for several years. He is married and his family has reached Lucknow following the incident.