Amputee pushed out of Mumbai local train after fight over seating, third such commuter attack this year

A 62-year-old disabled commuter was allegedly pushed from a Mumbai local train after a dispute over seating, marking the third fatal commuter clash this year

A 62-year-old disabled man was pushed to his death from a moving train between Mahim and Bandra stations on Thursday afternoon, after a quarrel over seating. This is the third commuter death in Mumbai’s suburban trains this year, after seemingly routine disputes have quickly escalated into fatal attacks.

The deceased, Cajetan Denis Pires, an amputee and a resident of Santacruz east, was travelling in the Divyangjan coach. (HT Photo)

The deceased, Cajetan Denis Pires, an amputee and a resident of Santacruz east, was travelling in the Divyangjan coach reserved for commuters with disabilities in a Churchgate-Borivali train, when the incident took place at 1.24pm.

Seat dispute in Divyangjan coach turns fatal

Shahaji Nikam, senior police inspector, Bandra GRP, said Pires was travelling from Mahim to Santacruz, when he noticed Amajad Safruddin Shaikh, 48, an able-bodied man, seated in the coach reserved for persons with disabilities. When Pires demanded that he vacate the seat, the two began to argue. After a heated argument, Shaikh allegedly pushed Pires out of the train, Nikam said.

The other passengers restrained Shaikh and escorted him to the police after the train halted at Bandra station. “We arrested Shaikh from the platform,” said Nikam.

Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel found Pires seriously injured lying on the tracks. They took him to Bhabha Hospital in Bandra west, where he died during treatment.

Kishore Shinde, assistant commissioner, GRP, said Shaikh has been charged with murder under section 103(1) of the BNS. Shaikh. A pavement dweller near Churchgate, Shaikh told RPF officers that he thought a crow had entered the coach. When he tried to chase it away, he accidentally pushed Pires out of the train.

Third fatal attack over a dispute on Mumbai local trains this year

This is the third death in Mumbai’s suburban local trains this year, raising red flags about whether overcrowded trains are adding to the stress faced by commuters in an already overstretched metropolis.

In June, 22-year-old Mayank Lohar was stabbed to death by a co-passenger in a local train between Goregaon and Kandivali stations after they argued over whether or not to close the doors of the train as it was raining. While several passengers wanted the door to be shut, Roshan Suvarna, 30, who was inebriated, wanted to enjoy the rain. Lohar and Suvarna argued before Suvarna pulled out a knife from his backpack and repeatedly stabbed Lohar to death on the floor of the compartment.

In January, Alok Singh, 32, a maths teacher at NM College, was fatally stabbed by a co-passenger, Omkar Shinde, 27, as the train drew to a halt following an argument over right of way in the compartment.

Samir Zaveri, a railway activist and himself a differently abled commuter, said, “I urge railway officials to treat these recent incidents as a wake-up call, ensure prompt action against violators, and take steps to protect passengers.”