The hearing on the pre-arrest bail plea of two railway engineers booked for culpable homicide in connection with the Mumbra train tragedy, which claimed five lives in June this year, concluded in a Thane court.
Additional Sessions Judge GT Pawar, who heard the arguments and submissions from the investigating officer, has reserved the matter for order on Wednesday, reported news agency PTI.
The incident occurred on June 9 between Diva and Mumbra railway stations in Thane district, when two trains — one bound for Kasara and the other for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in Mumbai — crossed each other at a sharp curve near Mumbra Station.
According to police, some passengers standing on the footboard fell onto the tracks after their backpacks brushed against each other.
Five passengers lost their lives in the accident.
On November 1, the Government Railway Police (GRP) registered a case against Assistant Divisional Engineer Vishal Dolas, Senior Section Engineer Samar Yadav, and other railway staff allegedly responsible for track maintenance.
The two engineers told the court that the tragedy resulted from overcrowded trains and not from any negligence on their part.
“A case has been registered against a senior section engineer and a section engineer of Central Railway with regard to the incident after a probe by the railway police. The Thane GRP had earlier registered an accidental death case,” the officer stated.
The duo were booked under Section 25 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Sandhurst Road track deaths: ‘I just want to know how my child died’
“No one has told me how my daughter died,” said a grief-stricken Sheetal Momaya, the mother of 19-year-old Hailey, who died on the railway tracks near Sandhurst Road last Thursday. Four days after the accident, Momaya said she is still waiting for answers from the authorities.
The incident occurred on November 6, when rail employees protested at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) against an case registered against two railway engineers in connection with the June train accident between Mumbra and Kalwa. The protest halted several trains to and from CSMT for hours.
Hailey and her aunt Khusbu were travelling on one of the trains. Their family members said the train had stopped just after crossing Sandhurst Road Station, when an announcement informed passengers that the train would not move further due to the protest.
As many passengers began walking along the tracks toward Byculla, Hailey and her aunt also decided to get down.
“They left after most of the crowd had gone. It was just an unfortunate decision made at the wrong time,” said a relative, requesting anonymity.
(With PTI inputs)
