The Brazen Stick-Wielder: How a Mobile Snatcher Terrorized Train Passengers

Imagine, if you will, the serene rumble of a train journey, the wind whipping through open doors—a common sight, perhaps a moment of calm. But for some unlucky passengers between Kayamkulam and Mavelikkara, this seemingly innocuous scene transformed into a terrifying ordeal, all thanks to a man with a stick and an alarming amount of nerve.

Police, it seems, have finally apprehended the individual responsible for a series of shockingly audacious mobile phone snatchings. His name is Sumon Roy, a 25-year-old from West Bengal, and his method? Well, it was certainly unconventional, to say the least. Picture this: as the train, specifically targeting those like the Chennai-Egmore Express or even the Ernakulam-Bengaluru Express, would slow down near signals or curves, Roy would emerge from the shadows. And then, he'd lash out.

Using what's described as a long stick—yes, a literal stick, though one modified with a hook—he would strike at passengers seated near the doors, particularly those engrossed in their mobile phones. It's a truly chilling thought, isn't it? One moment, you're scrolling, perhaps chatting, and the next, a stick comes hurtling, knocking the device right out of your hand. The sheer audacity of it, to commit such a crime with the train still in motion, leaving victims stunned and often injured.

This wasn't just a one-off incident, mind you. Roy is suspected of orchestrating multiple such attacks, each one a stark reminder of the vulnerability many feel during public transit. The Kayamkulam Railway Police, after meticulous work poring over CCTV footage—and honestly, who even thinks to look for a stick-wielding bandit on a train line?—combined with some smart technical investigation, managed to track him down. They arrested him near Haripad and, perhaps unsurprisingly, recovered several stolen mobile phones from his possession. One can only imagine the relief of those who had their valuable devices returned.

For those affected, it was more than just the loss of a phone; it was a violation of personal space, a sudden, violent intrusion into what should have been a peaceful trip. Sumon Roy now faces the music, with cases registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including robbery, assault, and theft. But for many, this incident, well, it certainly highlights the strange, often unsettling, ways in which crime can manifest, even in places we once thought safe.