Phone Snatching Turns Tragic: Man Falls Off Train, Legs Crushed Near Thane

A phone snatching incident near Thane turned tragic after a man fell from a moving train and had his legs crushed. The Government Railway Police are investigating the case and searching for the thief.

Man Falls from Train After Phone Snatching Near Thane, Legs Crushed.

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A phone snatching incident turned into a tragedy when a man sitting at the door of a train fell off and his legs were crushed under the train. This happened yesterday in the Thane district. The train was between Shahad and Ambivli stations when the passenger, who was sitting at the door, was targeted.

The passenger, identified as Gaurav Nikam, said, "Someone pulled my hand and snatched my phone, and I fell.” He added that he was holding on to the door to save himself but eventually lost his grip and fell, resulting in his legs getting crushed under the train.

"I was clinging to the door. Then I fell here," said Gaurav Nikam, as he was seen lying near the railway tracks. Visuals showed severe injuries to both his legs, with one foot completely crushed by the train wheels. He is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital.

Case Under Investigation

The case has gone to Kalyan unit of the Government Railway Police and they are investigating it and is searching for the thief.

Mobile thefts have emerged as the most reported crime under the railway police’s jurisdiction. The culprits are often drug addicts or members of organized gangs, including several interstate criminal networks linked to this ongoing problem.

From January 2023 to May this year, more than 26,000 mobile phone thefts have been reported, according to data from the Government Railway Police.

Although police data shows a nearly 10% drop in phone thefts between 2023 and 2024 — with 12,159 phones reported stolen in 2023 and 10,891 in 2024 — the issue remains significant. As of May 2025, around 3,508 phone thefts have already been reported on Mumbai's suburban railway network.

Mumbai’s local train network, often called the city’s lifeline, carries lakhs of passengers daily but continues to face chronic issues like overcrowding.

Last year, while hearing a public interest litigation regarding these problems, the Bombay High Court remarked that it was ashamed to see people packed into trains and forced to travel like cattle.