On the evening of Monday, 30 March 2026, the Alappuzha–Kannur Executive Express (train No 16307) was approaching the Feroke–Kadalundi stretch in Kozhikode district when unidentified persons pelted stones at the moving train. At around 9:50 pm, one of the missiles struck Aishwarya Ramakrishnan (22), a degree course student from Eranjoly–Purameri via Vadakara, who was travelling in the general‑class window seat, apparently on her way home for exams. The stone hit her face, shattering her upper and lower jaw, dislodging several teeth, and causing severe lacerations to her lips and chin. She was first taken to Beach Hospital near Kozhikode before being shifted to a private hospital in the city for reconstructive facial surgery. Doctors described her condition as serious, with emergency surgery required to restore the structure of her face and prevent long‑term speech and eating impairments.
Investigation and legal angle
The Kozhikode Railway Police registered a case under sections 118(1), 327(1), and 329(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Section 152 of the Indian Railways Act, which criminalises acts like throwing stones at trains and endangering passengers. The offence can attract rigorous imprisonment up to five years, yet the police initially struggled to identify the perpetrators, conducting searches around the Vadakumbad underpass area near Feroke without immediate arrests. By early April 2026, investigators reported that they had zeroed in on three suspects in the case and were gathering technical and witness evidence to link them to the attack. Railway authorities also noted that similar stone‑pelting incidents had occurred earlier on the same route, including reported attacks on a Vande Bharat Express travelling between Tanur and Tirur in Malappuram, underscoring a pattern rather than a one off madness.
The victim’s story
Aishwarya’s family, based in Thazhekuni, Eranjoly, described her as a quiet, studious young woman returning home after a demanding day. Her father, Ramakrishnan, learned of the attack from co‑passengers and then from Railway Police, who informed him that the girl’s face had been distorted by the impact. The family was left in shock, grappling with not only the physical trauma but also mounting medical bills and the psychological trauma of seeing a loved one attacked while simply commuting. Her injuries loss of teeth, jaw fractures, and facial scarring go beyond a temporary health crisis. They could affect her speech, chewing, smile, and self‑image for years, forcing a long‑term ordeal of dental implants, orthopaedic work, and possibly psychological counselling. Human‑rights‑activist groups and local media have framed her case as emblematic of how a random act of cruelty can derail an ordinary citizen’s life, turning a routine train journey into a medical and emotional disaster.
In the end, Aishwarya’s story is not just about a single stone, a broken jaw, or a delayed train. It is a stark reminder of how fragile public safety can be when infrastructure, policing, and civic responsibility fail to keep pace with the everyday needs of ordinary travellers. As Kozhikode and Kerala reckon with yet another attack on the rails, the true measure of progress will lie not in faster trains or sleeker coaches, but in whether parents can send their children to college knowing that a simple journey home will not end in shattered teeth and a scarred face.
Read more at: https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2026/04/02/stone-pelting-victim-railway-assistance.html