Mumbai Commuter Blinded In One Eye After Stone Misses Target In Train Argument
In a disturbing incident highlighting the risks of overcrowding on Mumbai’s suburban trains, a 26-year-old labourer has been arrested by the Bandra Government Railway Police (GRP) for hurling a stone during a dispute, accidentally striking an innocent passenger and causing permanent vision loss in one eye.
The accused, identified as Yogendra Boddha from Uttar Pradesh, was taken into custody on Thursday. The altercation occurred on Wednesday when an argument erupted between Boddha and another commuter inside a local train. As the train halted at platform No. 5 of Bandra station around 11 pm, one of the men stepped onto the tracks, picked up a stone, and threw it toward his rival. The projectile missed its intended target and instead hit 28-year-old Nishant Khatri, a resident of Dadar (West), in the left eye.
Medical professionals at the hospital treating Khatri have informed him that the severe injury, including damage to the retina, means vision in his left eye will not return. The victim described the attacker to police as appearing 25-30 years old, about 5.5 feet tall, of medium build, dark complexion, dressed in a white t-shirt, grey pants, and red-and-black sandals.
GRP officers, led by Shahji Nikam, reviewed CCTV footage from the station to identify the suspect. Tracking his movements through additional recordings, they observed him alighting at Dadar and set up a trap, arresting him upon his return to the station the following day.
Kishore Shinde, Assistant Commissioner of Police (GRP), noted that such confrontations are unfortunately frequent due to the intense crowding on local trains. He emphasized the need for enhanced safety measures, including the installation of CCTV cameras inside train compartments to deter escalations and aid investigations.
The arrest comes amid growing concerns over commuter safety on Mumbai’s overburdened railway network, where minor disputes can quickly turn violent with potentially life-altering consequences for bystanders. Authorities have registered a case against Boddha, and the investigation continues.