A special investigation team (SIT) constituted jointly by the Government Railway Police (GRP) and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) on Monday (August 11) arrested a man from Uttar Pradesh who allegedly robbed an elderly woman from Thrissur on the Sampark Kranti Express and pushed her off the train on August 8. The arrested is Mohammed Saif Asgar Ali of Ghaziabad.
The police sources said the 37-year-old, suspected of having involvement in a series of criminal cases, was detained during a flash inspection near the Kasaragod railway station on Monday morning. According to police records, he was a āwandering criminalā and used to target train passengers.
The alleged robbery took place near Kallayi in Kozhikode when the passenger, Ammini Jose, was returning home along with her brother from Mumbai. She lost ā¹8,500 and a mobile phone in the incident.
SIT officials said it was a narrow escape for her after she fell onto the railway track. Her brother, who happened to see the incident while coming out of the washroom, immediately pulled the emergency chain and sought the help of the police, they said.
The woman who sustained minor injuries was allowed to go home after a detailed check-up at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital. It was her detailed account about the attacker that helped the police identify the suspect, who reportedly jumped off the train after the assault.
Police sources said Ammini was pushed off the train while she tried to resist the robbery attempt. Since her seat was close to the door, the robber could easily push her off the moving train after snatching her handbag and phone, they said, adding that CCTV visuals from various spots had been gathered as part of the probe into the incident.
Published ā August 11, 2025 07:31 pm IST
