A 30-year-old man would have been crushed under the wheels of a CSMT bound fast local train, but miraculously lived to tell his tale after an alert government railway police (GRP) constable pulled him out from the jaws of death in the nick of time.
The officer, Tushar Bajarang Sontate (26), joined GRP in 2018 at Thane station. Before joining the GRP, Tushar regularly used to play Kabaddi for his village team.
According to the CCTV footage, in a split second, the man was pulled to safety, literally plucked from the mouth of death. "He grabbed the man exactly like a professional Kabaddi player," said a GRP official adding that Tushar Bajarang Sontate has always been careful about his job.
"In the incident that took place on 12th May at around 7.45 am, the passenger was saved by Tushar's quick thinking and bravery," said another senior official of GRP adding that after the incident, the man who was on his way to Nanded, was in distress position, and he was only allowed continue his journey after counselling.
The visuals captured on the CCTV camera of Thane railway station show that at first, the GRP officer offered the baton but realising that it was too late, he used his hands to pull out the man with less than a second left.
Speaking to FPJ Tushar said, "The passenger was crossing the track and was unaware of the train. Fortunately I was on the same platform, just a few meters away from the site".
Tushar got married in June 2021. He lives with his wife in Mumbai. His elder brother is an Army personnel. Asked about the risk of his life, Tushar said, "That time I was thinking only about saving the life of man."
"When I reached home, I told my wife about this incident, she said that she was very proud of me, but after seeing the footage, she said that I should be more careful while working on the platforms," added Tushar.
