New Delhi

The tragic story of Farhat Azam Sheikh of Mumbai is a lesson for youngsters performing dangerous stunts on moving trains for social media attention.

Farhat Azam Sheikh, a resident of Antop Hill, Central Mumbai, lost a leg and an arm in falling off a local train in Mumbai in the act of performing a dangerous stunt in a moving train. His friend was shooting his performance on a mobile.

Interestingly, Farhat's plight came to the fore when the Railway Protection Force (RPF) reached his house to arrest him following an FIR registered against him. The locals commuting on the train had reported the matter to the RPF and asked the cops to take strict action against this unidentified young man whom they saw perform dangerous stunts.

In his last video posted on X, Farhat Azam Sheikh was seen hanging from the door of a local train as it leaves the platform and speeds up.

Taking note of the complaint, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) started searching for the youth from his digital footprints.

Finally, when the RPF personnel reached his home, they were shocked to see that the young man had lost a hand and leg during yet another stunt. The Central Railways of the Indian Railways posted this video of the RPF personnel meeting Farhat at him home on X:

Central Railway has identified the stunt performer from this viral video, who later lost an arm and leg during another stunt. @RPFCRBB swiftly took action to ensure safety.
We urge all passengers to avoid life-threatening stunts and report such incidents at 9004410735 / 139.… https://t.co/HJQ1y25Xkv pic.twitter.com/DtJAb7VyXI

— Central Railway (@Central_Railway) July 26, 2024

The video of the youngster doing the stunt went viral on 'X' 12 July.

Earlier netizens had alerted the Railways about Farhat shooting dangerous videos on the railways platform and posted on X:

#Mumbai

Attn : @RailMinIndia @drmmumbaicr @grpmumbai @RPFCR @Central_Railway @cpgrpmumbai

Such Idiots performing Stunts on speeding #MumbaiLocal trains are a Nuisance just like the Dancers inside the trains.

Should be behind Bars.

Loc: Sewri Station.#Stuntmen pic.twitter.com/ZWcC71J44z

— मुंबई Matters™ (@mumbaimatterz) July 14, 2024

The RPF official said Farhat Azam Sheikh had committed similar acts at Masjid station on 12 April. "He told us that the video that went viral on July 12 is from March 7 this year, which is from Sewri station. The video was shot by one of his friends."

The Central Railway has since issued a public warning to those performing dangerous stunts on the railway's propetry or premises. "Strict action awaits all those doing dangerous stunts while travelling in trains or on the tracks," it said.

The statement further said that the Wadala unit of RPF has registered a case against a youth who was seen performing a stunt in their jurisdiction mon a post on social media.

According to the press release of RPF, Farhat Azam Sheikh has appealed to all passengers through a video message to stay away from such acts (stunts) which are not only illegal but also dangerous to their lives and that of other passengers.

"Young people should not act like this. The Central Railway has also requested passengers to refrain from such dangerous stunts and illegal activities as they can prove fatal. If you see them doing any stunts or stunts, report them immediately by calling mobile number 9004410735 or helpline number 139," the statement said.