Bhubaneswar, March 28: A 20-year-old girl was seriously injured after she was allegedly pushed off a running train by a snatcher this morning.

The incident took place when the victim, Supriya Prasad, an engineering student at an institute in the city, was returning from Ranchi by Purushottam Express.

Railway Protection Force (RPF), Bhubaneswar officials said that according to other passengers, who were travelling in the same compartment, the incident took place near Kathajodi passenger halt in Cuttack.

“They said the girl, who was carrying a bag, was talking on her phone while standing near the train’s door. She fell off the train after losing balance when a goon tried to snatch her bag,” said inspector in charge of RPF, Bhubaneswar, Barun Kumar Behera.

Later the passengers rescued the girl by pulling the chain and brought her to Bhubaneswar.

The girl has suffered severe injuries in various parts of her body and was rushed to Capital Hospital and later shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital. RPF officials said she was unable to speak coherently and they had contacted her parents after getting their contact number from her friend, who was travelling in the same train.

“We are waiting for her parents to arrive,” said an RPF official.

Officials quoting eyewitnesses said the girl had boarded the train from Ranchi.

This is the second incident of a passenger being pushed off a running train in two weeks. Last week, a man suffered severe injuries when he was allegedly pushed off the Guwahati Express near VSS Nagar level crossing.

The incident has raised questions on the safety of passengers in a running train.

“Goons are now travelling with proper tickets and committing crime. But inadequacy of police personnel on running trains is a major concern for passengers,” said Sourav Mishra, a passenger.

In 2012, Budhia Behera, 30, had lost both his legs when he was allegedly pushed off from the Howrah—Yeshwantpur Express only to be run over by another train coming from the opposite direction.

While drug-and-loot cases at platforms have become a regular affair, goons are not sparing the passengers even inside the train.