Thiruvananthapuram: The drunken man who allegedly in Varkala, Kerala also assaulted her companion.
The attacker tried to harm Archana, the friend of Sreekutty (Sonu), 19, from Peyad, who remains in a critical condition after falling from the train and hitting her head on the track. Archana narrowly escaped by clinging to a handrail.
Sreekutty and Archana were returning from Aluva, where they had gone for Sreekutty’s studies, when the incident occurred. Recounting the terrifying experience, Archana said the man attacked them as they were returning from the restroom.
‘He kicked me too’
“As we reached the doorway, he suddenly kicked Sonu in the middle of her back and pushed her out of the train. Seeing her fall, I was frozen with shock. Then he kicked me too. I managed to hang on to a bar, screaming for help, until other passengers pulled me back inside,” Archana recalled, visibly shaken.
The incident took place around 8:45 p.m. on Sunday aboard the Kerala Express heading to Thiruvananthapuram, near Ayani, Varkala. Witnesses said passengers immediately pulled the emergency chain, bringing the train to a halt.
Railway Police quickly rushed to assist the injured Sreekutty, who was found lying on the track. She was taken to Varkala railway station on a MEMU train bound for Kollam, before being transferred by ambulance to Sree Narayana Medical Mission Hospital. She was later admitted to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital, where she underwent emergency surgery for severe head and hand injuries as well as internal bleeding. She is currently on a ventilator.
Passengers managed to detain the attacker, identified as Sureshkumar (50), a resident of Panachamoodu, Vellarada. The at Kochuveli after he reportedly became aggressive and had to be restrained. Sureshkumar had boarded the train at Kottayam, and passengers said he appeared to have been drinking heavily inside the train.