The circumstances surrounding the death of trackman Shravan Sanap continue to remain unclear, with an eyewitness statement differing from the station master’s report.
On Thursday, the Government Railway Police (GRP) took the statement of Namdev Awad, another trackman and an eyewitness to the incident. According to him and the other trackmen present at the site, a train passenger kicked Sanap, leading to his death.
On Wednesday, the GRP had registered a case of accidental death based on the station master’s report, which said Sanap died after the train hit his head. According to the police, Mr. Awad is the only eyewitness.
The two statements
A team of eight trackmen was working between Mahalaxmi and Lower Parel on Wednesday. As a Churchgate-bound slow train approached, six of them shifted to the space between the slow and the down fast track, while Sanap and Mr. Awad moved to the down slow track. Mr. Awad said that as the train passed them, a person standing on the footboard of the third compartment kicked Sanap on the shoulder. This caused Sanap to turn and hit the emergency ladder.
According to the station master’s report, which is based on the motorman’s statement, the front of the train hit Sanap’s head. The report said the motorman sounded the horn as he was nearing the trackmen, and after the impact applied the emergency brakes. “Usually, we use the station master’s report, which includes the motorman’s statement. But since two narratives have emerged, we will take the motorman’s statement tomorrow,” said Shailendra Dhivar, senior police inspector of the Mumbai Central railway police station.
According to police officials, the incident still looks like an accident. “If someone in the train had kicked the victim, the motorman wouldn’t have known about the incident and would not have stopped,” a senior police official said. Officials also said that at 9 a.m. on a Churchgate-bound train, there would have been eyewitnesses who would have reported the incident.
Ajay Singh, divisional secretary of the Western Railway Mazdoor Sangh, said the train was stopped after the trackmen raised an alarm. “We want an FIR to be lodged and have asked the government to provide ₹25 lakh compensation above the normal compensation,” Mr. Singh said.