An argument over smoking a cigarette escalated on a train in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura district on Wednesday, leaving a man critically injured after he was attacked with a sword by a Sikh co-passenger.
The accused Sikh man has been arrested and sent to jail following a complaint by the victim who is being treated for injuries sustained in the sword attack, police said.
Chaos erupted on Platform-2 of the Mathura Junction when the Amritsar-Nanded Sachkhand Express arrived earlier in the day. Passengers aboard the train and at the railway station were gripped with panic after seeing a man getting attacked with a sword at the hands of a turban-clad man.
According to eyewitnesses, the two started arguing during the journey, leading to a violent confrontation inside the train when it arrived at the junction.
Dispute over smoking
Railway CO Sudesh Gupta said the victim has been identified as Pawan, a resident of Uparkot village in Mathura. He boarded the train from Dholpur for Mathura while the accused has been identified as Mohan Singh from Nanded who was on his way to Amritsar.
Singh objected to Pawan smoking a cigarette inside the train coach they both were in. An argument ensued and as the train approached the Mathura Junction, Singh suddenly attacked Pawan with a sword, inflicting severe injuries on his hand.
Fellow passengers raised alarm after the attack and alerted the Railway Protection Force (RPF) who took the Sikh man into custody and launched a probe into the incident. A case has been filed under relevant sections of the law and legal action will be taken accordingly, an RPF official said.
The injured has been admitted to a hospital and his condition is stated to be stable.