According to police, the woman boarded a train at Malad and was travelling towards Naigaon when she entered the coach reserved for persons with disabilities. The accused objected to her presence in the coach, leading to an argument. The two allegedly threw shoes at each other before the man pushed her off the moving train at Naigaon. She fell on the tracks and lost her right arm.
Narrating the ordeal, the woman told The Indian Express, “I boarded a train from Malad and was heading towards Naigoan when one uncle touched me inappropriately to which I objected. He continued to molest me and we had a verbal altercation, during which we threw shoes at each other. The uncle then pushed me off the train… I lost my arm and have a head injury.”
The woman, who works as a supervisor at a private firm, said she was the sole earning member of her family. “I have been left with one arm and 16 stitches on my head… now it’s most likely that I’ll lose the means to earn. I want strict action against the accused,” she said.
Her 22-year-old fiance said they decided to postpone their wedding, scheduled for December, indefinitely. Both work as supervisors at a private firm.
The incident comes amid a series of violent confrontations on Mumbai’s suburban railway network in which disputes between commuters have escalated into stabbings and deaths.
In January, a 32-year-old college lecturer, Alok Kumar Singh, was stabbed to death inside a local train following an argument over alighting at Malad. In June, 22-year-old Mayank Lohar was stabbed to death inside a moving train after a dispute over keeping a compartment door open during heavy rain. In August, 63-year-old commuter Cajetan Pires, who had a disability, died after allegedly being pushed off a moving train following a dispute over a seat in the coach reserved for persons with disabilities.
The accused has been identified as Jitendra Hirmukhe. Police said he was travelling in the coach as he was battling cancer. The FIR was registered on November 6, two days after the incident, following the recording of the woman’s statement.
Police said Hirmukhe fled after the incident. After examining CCTV footage, investigators traced him with the help of human intelligence and technical assistance. He was arrested from his residence in Naigaon on November 8.
He has been booked under Sections 74 (assault or use of criminal force to outrage the modesty of a woman), 109 (attempt to murder), 117 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt) and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The investigation is ongoing.
