Up Bihar Cleric Pushed Moving Train Accused Arrested Grp

A deadly shove from a moving train in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly district that claimed the life of Bihar cleric, Maulana Tauseef Raza, has now been cracked wide open, with the Government Railway Police (GRP) arresting a suspect after an extensive trail involving 300 passengers across four coaches.

The incident, which took place on April 26, was triggered by a brawl over alleged theft of a mobile phone, officials claimed.

The accused has been identified as Pankaj Rajput, a resident of Moradabad.

While the police had initially termed the cleric’s death an accident, they launched a probe after his wife handed them a clip of her conversation with Raza that night, in which he is heard asking her to seek police help.

The accused was identified after scanning over 300 passengers aboard the train the cleric was travelling in and questioning many of them, officials said.

Raza was travelling in a sleeper coach, S-8, even though he had a general ticket, it is learnt.

The police team collected the list of nearly 300 passengers travelling in the S-7, 8,9 and 10 coaches. While many of these passengers were contacted on phone, a woman admitted to having witnessed the cleric being heckled by a likely drunk passenger, the SP added.

He said, “The woman said the accused picked a fight with the cleric, accusing him of stealing his mobile phone even as he had the device with him. The cleric tried to convince him that he had no other mobile phone except his own, but the man kept abusing and shouting at him. She said Raza went to other coaches to avoid the confrontation, but the accused kept chasing him. Raza came to the door of a coach when the accused manhandled him and pushed him in the wee hours of April 26.”

After getting the woman’s testimony, police were told by some passengers that there was a group of youths who had recorded the incident.

A video procured from these youths, found to be Homeguards exam aspirants, showed the face and physical appearance of the accused.

Police also scanned footage from CCTV cameras installed at railway platforms in Moradabad, Bareilly and Shahjahanpur. Then they zeroed in on Pankaj by scanning the mobile phones active in the area during that period, the SP informed.

Police said during his questioning, Pankaj admitted to having pushed the cleric off the train after a physical assault, and claimed he was drunk.

Pankaj had boarded the train in Moradabad for Bareilly, but did not deboard at his destination since he was drunk and instead got down at Shahjahanpur, police said.

Earlier employed at a liquor shop, he lost the job due to his drinking habit and was currently working as an electrician, the SP said.

Bhupendra Pandey is the Resident Editor of the Lucknow edition of The Indian Express. With decades of experience in the heart of Uttar Pradesh’s journalistic landscape, he oversees the bureau’s coverage of India’s most politically significant state. His expertise lies in navigating the complex intersections of state governance, legislative policy, and grassroots social movements. From tracking high-stakes assembly elections to analyzing administrative shifts in the Hindi heartland, Bhupendra’s reportage provides a definitive lens on the region's evolution. Authoritativeness He leads a team of seasoned reporters and investigators, ensuring that The Indian Express’ signature "Journalism of Courage" is reflected in every regional story. His leadership is central to the Lucknow bureau’s reputation for breaking stories that hold the powerful to account, making him a trusted figure for policy analysts, political scholars, and the general public seeking to understand the nuances of UP’s complex landscape. Trustworthiness & Accountability Under his stewardship, the Lucknow edition adheres to the strictest standards of factual verification and non-partisan reporting. He serves as a bridge between the local populace and the national discourse, ensuring that regional issues are elevated with accuracy and context. By prioritizing primary-source reporting and on-the-ground verification, he upholds the trust that readers have placed in the Express brand for nearly a century. ... Read More