Student falls off Mumbai local as man hits him with a rod

The man then stole the student’s phone, worth ₹21,000, and before fleeing, hit the victim twice on the head with a stone. The accused was arrested on Tuesday

A 23-year-old college student suffered grievous injuries as he fell off a running local train after a man, who had climbed up a signal pole, hit him on the head with an iron rod, near Goregaon railway station on Monday, police said. The man then stole the student’s phone, worth ₹21,000, and before fleeing, hit the victim twice on the head with a stone. The accused was arrested on Tuesday.

Shakti Pillai, 23, the victim (HT Photo)

Sanjay Patil, senior police inspector, Borivli Government Railway Police (GRP), said, “The accused has been arrested.” However, the officer said details of the arrest would be given out on Wednesday.”

The GRP said the victim, Shakti Pillai, a Bachelor of Home Science (BHS) student and resident of Kranti Nagar in Kandivli (East), fractured his hand, while suffering internal injuries to his head, shoulders and legs. The GRP lodged an FIR under sections 307 (murder attempt), 394 (causing hurt for robbery) and 356 (assault to commit theft) of the Indian Penal Code.

Meanwhile, Pillai was discharged on Monday night from Shatabdi Hospital. According to the police, Pillai boarded a Churchgate-bound train from Malad station at 9.45am, on his way to Andheri college.

Pillai was standing on the footboard, and minutes after the train crossed Goregaon railway station, the accused, who had climbed up a signal pole, struck Pillai on the head. The police said Pillai fell off the running local with his bag.

The robber quickly climbed down, went up to Pillai and took his phone. He tried to steal the bag, but Pillai managed to hold on to it. “He picked up a stone and hit my head twice with it. He then ran away. A man called Rajkumar Yadav, who was on the tracks, came to my rescue,” Pillai told HT.