A video has gone viral on social media claiming that a man attempting to steal a mobile phone through the window of a moving train was caught by passengers and later died after falling under the wheels while trying to escape. Shared across numerous Facebook accounts, pages, and groups, the video has been widely circulated with similar captions.

The video shows a young man hanging from the door of a moving train. His feet briefly touch the ground, and he attempts to run alongside the train’s speed but fails and dangles again. As the train enters a station platform, he tries to disembark while still holding the door but eventually falls under the train. At that moment, a hand is seen grasping his from inside the train. The station nameplate ‘Nashratpur’ becomes visible right after the train enters the platform.

The video was posted from the Facebook page ‘Hridoye Bangladesh’ on Sunday, April 18, at 7:53 PM with the caption, “Ah, he lost his life trying to steal. Though a thief, it’s saddening when thinking of his family. Caught by passengers while trying to steal through a train window, he ended up crushed while trying to flee.” (Original spelling retained)

The video gained the most traction from a Facebook account named Khan Saddam, which posted it on the same day at 8:20 PM with the caption, “Died while attempting to steal a mobile phone!”

By Monday at 11:00 AM, the video had been viewed 20,000 times, received 289 reactions, 45 comments, and had been shared 62 times. The same video with identical captions was also posted from accounts named Md Eamin Hossan and H M Jonayed Ahmad.

Reverse image search of keyframes from the video shows that the same footage exists on multiple social media platforms. However, none of those posts provided reliable information about the actual incident. Following the station nameplate reading ‘Nashratpur’, the fact-checking team of Ajker Patrika investigated the location.

The investigation revealed that Nashratpur is a union in Adamdighi upazila, Bogura district, within the Rajshahi division. Nashratpur Railway Station is located there.

Ajker Patrika’s fact-checking team contacted SM Mostafizur Rahman, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Adamdighi Police Station, and shared the details of the incident. He confirmed awareness of the event.

He stated, “The person who fell under the train did not die. He came to our station yesterday to file a complaint. Since the incident occurred at a railway station, it falls outside our jurisdiction. We directed him to the Government Railway Police (GRP). Later, he went to the Santahar Railway Police.”

However, OC Mostafizur Rahman could not provide the man’s name or identity. The fact-checking team then collected the phone number of Santahar Railway Station OC Md Habibur Rahman from him. When contacted, OC Habibur Rahman said, “The individual is alive. He first went to Adamdighi Police Station. When they told him the matter was under the railway police’s jurisdiction, he came here. He only met with the sentry here. Later, after receiving a phone call from Adamdighi, he left.”

Upon a second call to Adamdighi OC Mostafizur Rahman to confirm if the individual had returned to the station, he answered in the negative.

A keyword search led to a post by the Facebook account MD Rana Islam on Sunday, April 18, at 9:02 PM, containing a video and a photo. The footage aligns with the viral video but is taken from a different angle. The individual seen hanging from the train, his clothing, the train, railway tracks, platform, and station nameplate match.

In the post, Md Rana Islam claimed that the man in the video is his father, writing, “My father is not a thief. He was involved in manpower business. The people whom he sent abroad tried to kill him. Please don’t assume he is a thief.” (Original spelling retained)

Ajker Patrika’s fact-checking team attempted to contact Rana Islam via Facebook Messenger, but he had not responded at the time of reporting.

From the comments on the post, another individual named Tarek Rahman posted the same video at 8:44 PM the previous night, claiming the man in the video is his uncle and is alive.

His caption read, “It’s not right to share everything without understanding. He is my uncle, a manpower agent, and had been facing issues recently. When they found him, they began beating him on the train. He tried to escape to save his life. They attempted to kill him and took the money he had. He’s now being falsely labeled a thief on Facebook. What a society. He is currently alive, and we demand the harshest punishment for those responsible.”

When called on the phone number listed on that Facebook account, a person identifying himself as Tarek Rahman responded and confirmed that the name of the man in the viral video is Motiur Rahman, his uncle, and that he is alive.

When asked for details, Tarek Rahman said, “He lives in Paroil village under Raninagar Thana in Naogaon district. His father was a former chairman of Paroil Union Parishad. Yesterday (Sunday), while returning from Bogura, some people followed him. Due to previous animosity, they falsely accused him of theft and tried to provoke mob violence. At one point, they pushed him from the train intending to kill him.”

The fact-checking team later contacted Motiur Rahman using the phone number provided by Tarek Rahman. A woman who identified herself as his wife answered the call and handed the phone to him.

When asked, Motiur Rahman confirmed, “I am that person.” He recounted, “I was returning from Bogura by train yesterday with 30,000 taka. I was unaware that seven people were following me. As the train passed Altafnagar, they attacked me. They punched me. All of them were wearing masks. At one point, they brought out a knife and planned to kill me. They struck my hand with the knife. One of them said they might get into trouble, so they decided to throw me off the train instead. They tried to forcefully release my hand. I tried to hold on again, but eventually I fell off and ended up under the train. During the attack, they kept calling me a phone thief.”

He further stated, “When I tried to file a complaint with Adamdighi police about the attack on my family, they told me it was a railway station matter and to report it to the GRP. When I went to Santahar Railway Police, they redirected me back to Adamdighi. I have yet to file a complaint with any police station.”

On the reason behind the conflict, Motiur Rahman said, “I’m involved in manpower business. One of the attackers’ relatives went abroad through me. He later got a job there. But without knowing the details, they attacked me.”

Regarding his current condition, he said, “By the grace of Allah, I survived. But I have some pain in my leg. I’m receiving treatment at a private hospital and will be discharged today.”

Therefore, the claim that a man died under a train while trying to escape after being caught stealing through a window is false. The individual is alive.

Original News Source: https://www.ajkerpatrika.com/fact-check/slip-of-tongue/ajpx77b5nygug