Thiruvananthapuram:  Kerala police have traced the migrant worker who bravely intervened during the Varkala train attack. The accused had earlier attempted to shift the blame by claiming that “a migrant worker” had committed the assault. Poilce now confirm that migrant worker in the compartment was actually the good Samaritan who stepped in to save the second girl.

Eyewitness who risked his life identified

Police said the accused, Suresh, was preparing to attack another girl the a person with red shirt rushed forward and pulled her back into the train. CCTV footage helped investigators identify him as a migrant worker. It is learnt that officers have spoken to him.

Worker pulled victim back into train

Railway Police had already been preparing to honour the person after verifying his identity. CCTV visuals showed him sprinting towards the second woman, pulling her back inside the coach with one hand and countering the attacker on his own. It was these visuals that prompted the police to appeal to the public to locate him.

The victim, 19-year-old Sreekutty suffered severe head and spinal injuries after being pushed out of a moving train—Kerala Express.

The accused, Suresh Kumar of Panachamoodu in Thiruvananthapuram district, has been arrested and charged with attempted murder. He was produced before a magistrate and remanded to judicial custody.

When first questioned, Kumar denied any role in the incident, claiming a migrant worker attacked the women. Police later confirmed that Kumar confessed to the crime.

Argument near doorway escalated

According to the FIR, the incident occurred as the victim, travelling from Aluva to Thiruvananthapuram, went to use the restroom. A heated argument broke out after she allegedly refused to move from the doorway. Enraged, Kumar pushed her from behind, sending her falling off the moving train.

Another girl in the compartment was also attacked. The accused allegedly grabbed her by the hand and leg and partially pushed her out, but she held on to the door and escaped a fall. This is when the migrant worker intervened.