A 20-year-old Muslim boy hailing from Bihar’s Gopalganj district has reportedly gone missing after allegedly being assaulted on the Purvanchal Express while returning home from Uttar Pradesh ahead of Eid ul Adha.
The boy, identified as Faizan Ahmad Shah and a student at Jamia Amjadiya Ghosi Madrassa in the Mau district of Uttar Pradesh, boarded the Puruvanchal Express to return home for Eid ul Adha festivities.
However, soon a visibly frantic text appears from Faizan on his father’s phone, revealing the assault.
“Faizan was returning home by train for Eid when he sent a message to his father on the way, saying, ‘Abbu, I’m messaging secretly. A fight has broken out. They are beating everyone,” Faizan’s uncle, Safiullah, told FoEJ Media.
A while after the text, the state of panic hung in the family, resulting in constant phone calls to Faizan only to find his phone switched off.
“We received his message at 7:06 am. After that, we called him several times, but his phone kept showing switched off. First, it said “out of network coverage area,” and then it kept showing “switched off,” Safiullah told FoEJ Media.
“He was a very good boy. He never had any quarrel or dispute with anyone,” he added.
“We still don’t know where he is. Since that message, we haven’t received any information about him,” Safiullah told FoEJ Media.
The complaint has been lodged at the Phulwaria police station in Gopalganj, and the investigation is underway.
“A complaint has been lodged at Phulwaria Police Station. During the investigation, footage was found in which he is seen calmly at the station. Further investigation is still underway,” Safiullah told FoEJ Media.
FoEJ Media also tried contacting Faizan’s father Imteyaz, but he remains distraught after being unaware of the whereabouts of his only son.
“His father is in a terrible state. He has been crying continuously, and everyone at home is in tears. Faizan is their only son,” Saifullah told FoEJ Media.
The incident adds apprehension, as a similar incident occurred a month ago, leading to the death of the victim.
A 30-year-old cleric from Bihar’s Kishanganj district was traveling to Bihar from Bareilly when he was allegedly killed after being assaulted and thrown from a moving Rishikesh-to-Muzaffarpur Special Train near Bareilly railway station on April 26. The authorities described the incident as an accident, but the families allege a different narrative, claiming that he was beaten by an unidentified fellow passenger on his way over a brawl.
“We know from a phone call that he had an altercation with a passenger; he was asking for help, but no one helped him,” referring to the last conversation with Raza, his brother-in-law, Shamim said when speaking to FoEJ Media.
In the last conversation with his wife Tabassum, Raza said, “Tabassum, someone is grabbing me and forcing me—they are hitting me.” The recording of the conversation has been accessed by FoEJ Media.
The family of Raza allegedly was on FaceTime with him when the assault occurred. The family said that Maulana was assaulted by a mob who incited other passengers by framing him as a “thief.”
Following the incident, Bihar Police issued an official statement saying, “On April 27, 2026, at 7:25 AM, information was received by the control room from a railway keyman regarding a man’s body lying near the railway line in the Palpur Crossing area, Cantt Police Station, Bareilly.” Upon receiving the information, the Cantt Police arrived at the scene, where the deceased was identified as Tauseef Raza, son of Abdul Hussain, a resident of Kishanganj, Bihar.”
