Kicked her on the back, pushed her out in a fit of rage: FIR on Kerala train attack incident

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: A woman passenger who was pushed out of a moving train by a drunk man near Varkala here was attacked after she refused to move from the doorway, the FIR in the case stated on Monday.

According to the FIR, the accused, identified as Suresh Kumar of Panachamoodu, allegedly pushed 20-year-old Sreekutty of Palode out of the train in a fit of rage.

Hospital authorities said the injured woman's condition has improved, but she continues to remain in the ICU.

The incident occurred on Sunday while Sreekutty and her friend Archana (19) of PTP Nagar were travelling in the unreserved coach of the Kerala Express from Aluva to Thiruvananthapuram.

"The accused, in a fit of rage after Sreekutty refused to move from the doorway, kicked her on the back and pushed her out of the moving train," the FIR stated.

It also said that Archana screamed for help, following which the accused grabbed her hand and leg and attempted to push her out as well.

The case was registered based on Archana's complaint.

Police said a medical examination confirmed that Kumar was intoxicated.

He had reportedly boarded the unreserved coach from Kottayam. Police took Kumar into custody, produced him in court, and remanded him to judicial custody.

Sreekutty, who sustained severe head and abdominal injuries, is undergoing treatment at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital.

Hospital authorities said that Sreekutty's condition remains stable, though she continues to be on ventilator support.

She is under close observation by a team of doctors, an official said.

Priyadarshini, mother of Sreekutty, said that doctors informed her that her daughter had suffered around 20 injuries.

She said the family was anxious as doctors had not given any assurance about her condition. "My daughter is lying cold like ice with her eyes half open. She is breathing through a ventilator," she said, demanding better treatment for Sreekutty.

Priyadarshini said that her daughter was someone who would speak up against wrongdoing. "She always questioned when she saw something wrong. That is why she was attacked," she said.

The mother, a frequent train traveller, said that she had often witnessed such incidents during her journeys. "There is no safety for women in general compartments. We have to protect ourselves because there is no one else to protect us," she said.

Health Minister Veena George has directed the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Superintendent to form a medical board and ensure expert medical care to Sreekutty.

The incident occurred shortly after the Kerala Express left Varkala railway station around 8.30 pm.

When Sreekutty and Archana came out of the toilet, the accused allegedly attacked them.

Passengers pulled the emergency chain and alerted the police and Railway Protection Force (RPF).

A search was launched, and the woman was found lying on the tracks about two kilometres from Varkala station.

She was first taken to Varkala railway station on a MEMU train and then shifted to a nearby private hospital.

Considering her critical condition, she was later moved to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital.

The accused, who was intercepted by RPF personnel, was handed over to the Railway Police at Kochuveli station.

Archana later told reporters that both she and Sreekutty were attacked without provocation. "He kicked her out of the train and then tried to pull me down as well, but I managed to escape after other passengers pulled me up," she said. PTI