Couple stopped from getting off train

TT, Alipurduar, Sept. 24: The couple who had to jump off a train along with their daughter on Tuesday night said whenever they tried to get off at any station, they were issued death threats by drunken youths in their compartment.

The couple were in the unreserved compartment of the Alipurduar-bound Mahananda Express.

The woman was allegedly harassed by a group of youths and walked 100 yards through a jungle, bleeding, till they were rescued by forest officials.

The father, who works in a garage in Ghaziabad and was coming home to Cooch Behar's Dinhata on vacation, and the baby suffered head injuries while the woman had a hand injury.

The trio have been admitted to Alipurduar Railway Hospital.

Talking to Metro at the hospital this morning, the husband said: "The miscreants had earlier given me life threat inside the train whenever I tried to get down at any station. The youths did not allow me to get off the train and they were keeping constant watch over me and my wife. There were another couple and their son in the same compartment. That family asked us to sit on their seat and not on the floor of the coach. Near Aligarh station, my daughter suddenly fell ill and the other lady, along with my wife, took care of my child."

After the train left NJP on Tuesday night, the youths were taking liquor inside the compartment, he said.

"The other family got down at Binnaguri and thereafter, the youths started creating more nuisance. Although we shifted to the compartment reserved for the disabled, the youths followed us and they were talking about a plan to kill me. When the train reached the forest area, I was very much scared. I asked my wife to jump first and then I would follow along with my daughter," said the 32-year-old.

"Our baggage was left in the train, and when the train reached Alipurduar Junction Station, the railway police handed over me everything and nothing was missing," he added.

The railway has formed a three-member committee to identify the alleged miscreants.

The harassed family hasn't yet filed a complaint. "The police have started a probe on their own. So, we don't think of a formal complaint," said the brother of the harassed man.