Mumbai: Another murder incident has occurred on a Mumbai local train, with a passenger allegedly pushing a fellow commuter out of a moving train, resulting in his death. The incident occurred on August 20 in the disabled compartment of a Churchgate-Borivali slow local between Bandra and Mahim. According to the police, the incident followed an argument over a seat inside the disabled compartment.
The deceased has been identified as 62-year-old Cajetan Denis Peris, who resided in the Santacruz area. Police are yet to ascertain his exact place of residence. Peris was a person with disabilities and was unemployed. His sister told the police that he had lived with her family until around six months ago, after which he began living as a pavement dweller. He was unmarried. A few years ago, he lost one of his legs in an accident while working as a plumber. The accused has been identified as Amajad Safriddin Shaikh, 48, a pavement dweller who reportedly stayed near a dargah in the Churchgate East area. Police said he appeared to be mentally unstable. He has been arrested and booked for murder. The GRP will present him tomorrow in court.
Argument over seat turns fatal
According to officers of the Bandra Government Railway Police (GRP), the incident occurred around 1.24 pm when the train was between Mahim and Bandra. An argument reportedly broke out between Peris and Shaikh over seating.
Shahaji Nikam, senior police inspector, Bandra Railway Police, said, “The victim boarded the local train at Mahim, while the accused was already in the compartment. Shaikh was travelling towards Borivali to have khichdi served by an NGO or charitable organisation. The deceased, being a person with disabilities, objected to Shaikh, who is able-bodied, travelling in the compartment reserved for persons with disabilities. An argument then broke out between them.”
The argument turned violent when Shaikh allegedly pushed Peris out of the moving train near Bandra Creek. Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel, who were alerted about the incident, rushed to the spot and found Peris seriously injured and unconscious on the tracks near Bandra Creek. The injured passenger was immediately taken to Bhabha Hospital in Bandra West. However, doctors declared him dead during treatment.
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Concerns over passenger safety
The incident has once again raised concerns over passenger safety on Mumbai’s suburban railway network, particularly the safety of persons with disabilities travelling in coaches reserved for them.
Railway passenger activist Samir Zaveri, who is 90 percent disabled after a railway accident, said, “I am deeply concerned by repeated incidents on Mumbai suburban trains where able-bodied passengers travel in coaches reserved for persons with disabilities. Such encroachment can lead to dangerous situations and even assaults on disabled passengers. Railway authorities must treat these incidents as a wake-up call, strictly enforce the rules and take immediate steps to protect vulnerable passengers.”
Recent suburban train violence
The latest incident comes amid a series of violent incidents on Mumbai’s suburban railway network. In January, 33-year-old NM College mathematics professor Alok Kumar Singh was stabbed to death following an altercation with a fellow commuter at Malad station. In June, 22-year-old Mayank Lohar was allegedly stabbed to death inside a moving local train following an argument with co-passenger Roshan Suvarna over keeping the compartment door open during heavy rain. The GRP has since filed a chargesheet in the case.
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