Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh: A 35-year-old labourer lost his leg after four men allegedly assaulted him and threw him onto a railway track near Ujjain’s Zero Point bridge on a Wednesday night, raising serious concerns about railway safety and police response.
Lakhan Singh, a resident of Palduna near Maksi (Ujjain district) and a daily-wage worker at Devas Gate, was returning home around 8 p.m. when the attackers confronted him. They allegedly beat him, took the ₹500 he had on him, and pinned him down on the track as a train approached.
From his hospital bed, Lakhan said the men “held my hands and feet, placed me on the railway tracks, and did not let go until the train came close.”
Locals later found him unconscious and took him to Charak Hospital in Ujjain. After regaining consciousness, Lakhan informed police that his leg had been severed. However, reports indicate that officers did not immediately search for the missing limb. Doctors provided emergency treatment, but the severed leg could not be found.
His other leg also sustained serious injuries, according to hospital sources.
Nearly 12 hours later, the Government Railway Police (GRP) recovered the limb from the tracks and delivered it to the hospital. During this time, the GRP station was reportedly unaware of both the robbery and the accident. When questioned the next morning, the investigating officer allegedly denied that any such incident had occurred.
Officials stated that a formal FIR would be registered after recording the statement of Lakhan Singh’s sister.
GRP ASI Sawan Singh later confirmed that the limb was handed over to the hospital and that Lakhan was referred to Indore for advanced care.
In 2023 alone, 2,115 out of 3,014 people injured in railway-related accidents were reported in Maharashtra, highlighting the magnitude of safety lapses across states. The Ujjain case has further intensified scrutiny over coordination and responsiveness among railway police units.
The time elapsed from the injury to treatment is important, as per American Society for Surgery of the Hand.
When asked about the alleged negligence, GRP Superintendent of Police Padmavilochan Shukla said the department would “take action if proof is provided.”
(Rh/VK/MSM)
