Thane: The Thane Sessions Court has rejected the anticipatory bail applications (ABA) filed by two Central Railway engineers, Samar Yadav and Vishal Dolas, who have been named as accused in connection with the Mumbra train accident that claimed several lives and left others injured earlier this year.
The court pronounced its order after extensive hearings from both the prosecution and the Railway Protection Force (RPF), following which the defence was informed about the rejection.
Defence to Move High Court
Defence advocate Baldev Rajput confirmed the development, stating, “The court has not yet provided the detailed order copy, so we are unaware of the exact grounds for the rejection. However, we intend to approach the High Court seeking anticipatory relief, as we firmly maintain that the incident was a mere accident and not due to negligence.”
Court Questions ‘Domino Effect’ Theory
During the hearing, the sessions court had also questioned the defence’s “domino effect” theory, which claimed that the mishap occurred when commuters travelling on the footboard of an overcrowded train brushed against bags carried by passengers in an oncoming train, leading to a fall.
However, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Sudhakar Shirsat refuted this explanation. He told the court, “No such bags were found at the spot. The RPF, while inspecting the site on the day of the incident, conducted a panchnama in the presence of independent witnesses, and there was no recovery supporting the defence’s version.”
VJTI Inspection Report Points to Negligence
The prosecution’s case relied heavily on a report submitted by the Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI), which conducted a technical inspection of the accident site and submitted its findings to the RPF on October 14, 2025.
According to the report, Senior Section Engineer (SSE) Samar Yadav and Assistant Engineer (AE) Vishal Dolas were allegedly responsible, as they had sought a caution order to repair the railway tracks and join a gap between them. The inspection found a 17 mm gap, a 7 mm vertical difference, and a 4 mm lateral shift between the tracks, which allegedly caused the train to jerk violently on the fateful day.
The VJTI report also cited CCTV footage showing that the train coaches were “lurching and wobbling,” corroborating the technical lapses that may have contributed to the accident.
Engineers Face Arrest as Probe Intensifies
With the Thane Sessions Court denying anticipatory protection, both engineers now face the prospect of arrest as the RPF continues its probe into one of the most tragic suburban train mishaps in recent years.
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On November 1, the Government Railway Police registered a case against Assistant Divisional Engineer Vishal Dolas, Senior Section Engineer Samar Yadav, and other officials responsible for track maintenance in connection with the Mumbra train tragedy.
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