CRPF cop run over by train at unmanned railway crossing

Nagpur: A woman head constable of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Maya Dhiman, 50, was run over by goods train at an unmanned railway crossing at Rajiv Gandhi Nagar on Sunday evening. Piyush Goyal had announced while presenting Union Budget on February 1 that railways no longer have any unmanned railways crossing on broadgauge network.
This crossing is on a siding that carries coal to Mahagenco plants at Koradi and Khaparkheda.

The engine of train that hit Maya who was riding pillion on her husband Lekhram’s scooter was allegedly without headlight even though it was dark. Maya was posted at Jammu airport and was in city on leave.

Lekhram, a retired sub-inspector of CRPF, was coming from Kamptee. He failed to spot the oncoming goods train in the dark. He fortunately fell away from the train but Maya and the scooter came under it. Despite having lost his spectacles in the fall, Lekhram chased the slowly moving train to draw attention of the engine driver.

“I first thought I had come under the train but soon realized I was on the road,” said the distraught husband. “The train was moving towards Khaparkheda. When my wife warned me about train it was almost upon us. I applied brakes but could not save her,” he said.

Lekhram said calling out his wife loudly as it was pitch dark. “The train halted after going a short distance as the driver realized something had gone wrong. I was also calling for help and some passers by came soon,” he said. “The loco-driver pulled back the train that helped me pull my scooter out. Later, I saw my wife some distance away. Her feet was still stuck under the wheels of the train,” he said.

“I pulled her out and tied her severed legs with a cloth. She was still alive and gesturing. I ran with her in my arms to an autorickshaw,” said Lekhram. “I took Maya to Mayo hospital. There was no senior doctor at the casualty. No one seemed to have show any urgency which prompted us to shift her elsewhere but she was declared dead,” said Lekhram.

He lambasted doctors at Mayo hospital for not treating her wife who could have been saved if crucial time was not wasted. Lekhram said he would sue the railways too as the train’s engine was without headlights and also the level crossing was without guards.

Divisional railway manager (DRM), South-east central railway (SECR), Shobhana Bandopadhyay said a railway overbridge (ROB) was proposed at the site. “There is another level crossing which is manned some distance away but it is on the main line. The incident happened on the siding where the crossings are not manned,” she said. An inquiry would be conducted to ascertain whether the goods train was being driven without headlights on, she said.

Asked about compensation to Maya’s family railway authorities passed the buck on to Mahagenco as the train was ferrying their consignment. Mahagenco authorities, on the other hand, said it was in railways’ domain. Kalamna police have registered a case of accidental death.