The agility and inherent awareness of the lurking danger of a professional kabaddi player helped RPF Anil Kumar save a human life of a passenger Baban Sonavane (55) here at Thane station.
The shocking incident captured in the CCTV footage shows Kumar nearly touching the engine of the incoming train before moving out of its way.
Keeping in mind the bravery of the young RPF constable, the government of India has decided to facilitate him with Sarvottam Jeevan Rakshak Padak.
"Kumar has become at the first RPF constable to be conferred prestigious Sarvottam Jeevan Rakshak Padak for his act of bravery," said a senior officer of CR adding that the date of facilitation will be likely to announce soon.
“I was in the fourth standard when my teacher organised a running competition. I was among the top five runners,” Kumar said, which explains how he managed to pull off the 13-second lifesaving stunt.
He added, “Keeping in mind my running abilities, my sports teacher included me in college kabaddi teams as a raider."
According to Kapli, for a second he was blank but when he look Sonavane's wife and son crying on the platform, he immediately jumped on the track and pushed Sonavane on the platform safely.
The incident happened on December 3rd 2019. Kumar was deputed for the prevention and detection of passengers' belonging theft at Thane Station.
At about 10.30 pm Kumar noticed one person (Baban Sonavane) struggling to get onto platform no. 7 from the track while train Shalimar Express was approaching and had come perilously close. The constable, who was at Platform no. 6 seeing the imminent danger to the life of the person, jumped to the track, acted swiftly, lifted the person within a fraction of a second and saved him by putting him out of the harm’s way without caring for his own life. Due to timely and courageous action, he was able to save the valuable life of a person.
At that time, Baban's wife and his son were also standing at platform number 6.
The Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak is awarded to members of the armed forces, police, or fire services in addition to civilians in recognition of their conspicuous acts of valour beyond the course of their duty running grave risks to their own lives leading to saving precious lives. The award carries a medal, a certificate and a cash reward of Rs. 2 (two) lakhs.
Anil Kumar is one among the six persons whose names have been approved by the Hon’ble President of India for the Sarvottam Jeevan Rakshak Padak. His act of bravery and the subsequent award has made Central Railway proud. He is the first RPF constable selected for this award.
RPF personnel have saved 1,650 lives from the wheels of the running trains at railway stations in the last four years under this mission.
During the year 2021, RPF personnel saved 601 lives by pulling persons out of harm’s way in the nick of time while they were about to come under the wheels of the running train.
Out of these 41 passengers' lives were saved by the RPF constables of CRs Mumbai Division in 2021 while 23 lives were saved by the RPF constables of WR Mumbai Central Division in 2021.
