Beard pulled, cap thrown, mobile stolen by railway staff, raising serious concerns over religious profiling and passenger safety on trains
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI – In a disturbing incident at Hafizpet railway station near Hyderabad, a Muslim passenger travelling on a train was reportedly assaulted and robbed by railway staff, raising serious concerns about passenger safety and religious profiling.
Mohammad Imran, a resident of Latur in Maharashtra, was travelling in an AC coach when railway staff allegedly targeted him. He recounted: “They pulled my beard, threw my cap, and began hitting me. I was shocked that the staff entrusted with passenger safety could attack someone based on religious identity.”
A video of the incident has circulated widely on social media, showing Imran in tears as he narrates the attack to police officers inside the train. He was travelling to Latur on the Sainagar Shirdi–Kakinada Port Express at the time of the incident on February 9.
Imran’s travel companion, Adil Khan, was also assaulted, and his mobile phone was snatched. The attackers reportedly stole Imran’s mobile worth ₹32,000 and cash of ₹12,000.
Imran added that attempts to seek help from the train’s ticket inspector went unheeded. “When we asked the TTI for help, no one assisted us. At Bidir station, my companion got off, but I was not allowed to exit even then. I want justice for this blatant cruelty,” he said.
This incident highlights an alarming pattern of religiously motivated violence against Muslim passengers on trains. Recently, videos have circulated showing Muslim women being targeted with chants of “Jai Shri Ram” and other passengers being physically attacked.
Railway authorities have faced criticism for failing to prevent such incidents. Notably, earlier events include cases where Muslim passengers were allegedly shot at by personnel on trains. Despite these repeated occurrences, many passengers report a lack of effective security measures.
Local observers and civil rights activists have expressed outrage over the incident. One community member stated: “It is unacceptable that someone’s beard or religious attire can become a reason for assault. Railway authorities must take immediate action to protect all passengers, especially those belonging to vulnerable communities.”
Victims are now demanding accountability, fair investigation, and compensation. Meanwhile, the incident has reignited debates about safety and religious tolerance in India’s public transport system.
As investigations continue, human rights groups have urged railway authorities to implement stricter monitoring and training of staff to prevent future incidents. They stressed that every passenger, regardless of faith, must be able to travel without fear of violence or discrimination.
