‘Drug addict’ injures disabled man after he throws burning cloth on him in local train

Thane: A 34-year-old disabled commuter travelling in the disabled-friendly compartment of a local train suffered burn injuries after an unknown person threw a cloth that was set ablaze using a liquid substance used for intoxication at Mumbra railway station around 11pm on Saturday

Thane: A 34-year-old disabled commuter travelling in the disabled-friendly compartment of a local train suffered burn injuries after an unknown person threw a cloth that was set ablaze using a liquid substance used for intoxication at Mumbra railway station around 11pm on Saturday.

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The victim Pramod Wadekar, is deaf with a speech/communication disability, and works in a hotel in Powai. He was returning home after work when the incident took place. He lodged a complaint at Thane Government Railway Police (GRP) based on which a case was registered against an unknown person under section 326 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for voluntarily causing grievous hurt by means such as fire or any heated substance which can likely to cause death.

Senior police inspector of Thane GRP Pandhari Kande said, “The accused is suspected to be a drug addict.”

Wadekar is a resident of Diva, Thane. After finishing his work, he boarded a local from Kanjurmarg railway station. He got into a disabled-friendly compartment where only three passengers were seated.

“At around 11pm, when the local train left Mumbra railway station, an unknown person who was seated near the footboard, applied a liquid substance used for intoxication to a cloth, set it ablaze and threw it on my hand. I struggled to remove the cloth which led to burns across my shoulder and palm. Another commuter in the compartment helped me douse the blaze, meanwhile, the accused got down at Mumbra station,” said Wadekar, in his complaint to Thane GRP.

Following the incident, Wadekar was taken to a private hospital in Diva after he got down at Diva and took the help of railway police. He was provided with primary treatment and later shifted to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa for further treatment and was later sent to KEM Hospital.