Bengaluru man pushed in front of train by friends in jealous rage over girlfriend

Man pushed in front of train by friends over girlfriend dispute in Bengaluru.

A 20-year-old man was murdered by two friends who pushed him in front of a moving train in a brutal pre-dawn attack, following a dispute over one of the accused’s girlfriend.

The victim, identified as Ismail Patawegar from Vijayapura, was killed near Doddanekundi within the Byappanahalli railway police limits on Sunday.

According to a report by The New Indian Express, the alleged perpetrators, Puneeth and Pratap, both from Chitradurga, shared a paying guest accommodation in Byappanahalli with the victim and all worked as drivers for a private company.

The fatal altercation is said to have stemmed from romantic jealousy. Puneeth had recently introduced his girlfriend to Ismail, who subsequently took her number and began communicating with her. This act allegedly enraged Puneeth and set the stage for the tragic events.

Police confirmed that after a late-night drinking session, a quarrel erupted between the trio near the railway tracks at approximately 3.30 am.

In a fit of anger, Puneeth and the absconding Pratap allegedly pushed Ismail into the path of an oncoming train, resulting in his instantaneous death. In a bid to disguise the homicide as an accident, the duo then placed Ismail’s body on the tracks.

The grisly scene was discovered by railway staff on Sunday morning, who subsequently alerted the police. However, officers from the Government Railway Police (GRP) quickly determined that the incident was not an accidental death.

As reported by The New Indian Express, their preliminary investigation uncovered bloodstains approximately 10 feet away from the tracks, indicating a struggle and contradicting the accident narrative.

Further strengthening their case, investigators found that the victim’s last phone call was placed to one of the accused. Puneeth, who has been taken into custody, reportedly confessed to the crime. He stated that his motive was Ismail’s communication with his girlfriend.

The accused also admitted that he and Pratap had concocted a cover story, planning to tell authorities that Ismail was struck by a train while attempting to create a social media reel.

While the primary motive appears to be a personal grievance, police are also examining an additional allegation that the victim had previously attempted to kill the two accused, though no further details on this line of inquiry were immediately available. A manhunt is currently underway to locate and apprehend the second accused, Pratap.