Thane | A 26-year-old man fell off a moving train and lost his left leg during a mobile phone theft incident, following which a minor, who allegedly attacked the victim even as he lay bleeding, was detained, a railway police official said on Monday.

The incident took place around 7am on Sunday between Shahad and Ambivali stations in Thane district when Gaurch Ramdas Nikam, a farmer from Nashik, was travelling on board the Tapovan Express, the Kalyan railway police station official said.

"The 16-year-old accused, who was standing by the tracks, hit Nikam on his hand while the train was moving. It caused Nikam to lose his balance and fall off the train. His left leg was severed after it came under the wheels of the train," he said.

Elaborating on the horrific attack, the official said the accused continued to hit Nikam with a stick as he lay bleeding on the tracks before escaping with the victim's phone worth Rs 20,000.

Emergency assistance arrived at the site after police was alerted by commuters and railway staff, the official said.

"Nikam was immediately shifted to a hospital. Doctors have said he is out of danger but will require long-term medical care and rehabilitation due to the loss of his left leg. The accused was detained after a case was registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita provisions," the police official informed.

A probe is underway to find out if the detained minor is involved in more such cases, he said.

According to officials, the modus operandi is the one used by the "phatka" gang in many parts of the Mumbai suburban rail network. It involves accused waiting near the tracks and attacking passengers on the footboard or near the door with sticks, resulting in mobile phones in their hands falling to the ground.

However, there have been cases in which the impact of the unexpected and sudden attack has caused passengers to fall off moving trains, they added.