Ludhiana: Concerns over passenger safety have resurfaced after a youth sustained serious injuries while trying to recover his mobile phone during an alleged snatching incident near the railway tracks between Ludhiana and Dhandhari stations.
The victim, identified as Sumit Kumar, a native of Bihar’s Khagaria district, suffered a fractured arm and a severe head injury after falling from a moving train. The incident has once again drawn attention to the activities of criminal groups reportedly targeting railway passengers in the area.
According to information, Sumit was travelling to Ludhiana on the Jan Seva Express on Sunday. As the train approached Dhandhari station, he was standing near the coach doorway and using his mobile phone when an unidentified person allegedly struck the device with a stick from outside the train.
The sudden blow caused the phone to slip from his hand and fall near the tracks. In an attempt to retrieve it, Sumit jumped from the moving train. However, he lost balance and fell, suffering multiple injuries. The suspected snatcher reportedly escaped with the mobile phone.
Doctors at the Civil Hospital said the victim sustained a fracture in his right arm and a deep wound on his forehead that required six stitches. His condition is stated to be stable and he is undergoing treatment.
Despite being injured and bleeding, Sumit reportedly walked nearly three kilometres along the railway track before reaching Ludhiana railway station. Witnesses said his clothes were stained with blood when he finally arrived at the station nearly an hour later.
Passengers and railway staff immediately arranged medical assistance, following which he was shifted to the Civil Hospital by ambulance.
Sumit, who has been working as a packer in Ludhiana for the last two years, informed his friends about the incident after receiving medical attention. He said he had never faced such an incident before and was shocked by the manner in which the crime occurred.
The episode has sparked concern among regular rail commuters, many of whom allege that mobile snatching incidents have increased in areas along the railway corridor between Ludhiana and Dhandhari.
The injured passenger also questioned the effectiveness of security measures in the area. He suggested that regular patrolling along vulnerable stretches of railway tracks could help prevent such crimes and improve passenger safety.
The incident has prompted fresh demands for stricter surveillance and enhanced patrolling by the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF). Passengers have urged authorities to take immediate steps to curb the activities of criminal elements operating near railway lines before more lives are put at risk.
