Vashi GRP cop saves life of old woman who fell off moving train

The alertness and swift response of a senior Vashi GRP policeman saved the life of an old woman who fell off a moving Thane-bound train at Sanpada railway station on Thursday night. She would have fallen into the gap between the footboard and the platform

Navi Mumbai

Vashi GRP cop saves life of old woman who fell off moving train

The alertness and swift response of a senior Vashi GRP policeman saved the life of an old woman who fell off a moving Thane-bound train at Sanpada railway station on Thursday night. She would have fallen into the gap between the footboard and the platform. But, Sambhaji Katare’s habit of always standing at the compartment door came handy and he moved her away from the speeding train in a flash of a second.

Katara had boarded the Thane-bound local at Vashi station and he was to get off at Ghansoli. As usual, he stood at the door of the gents first class compartment. As the train rolled into Sanpada railway station, he saw that an old woman, probably in her 70s, struggled to get up from the platform and by the time, she could reach the train, it started moving. She managed to keep a water bottle in her right hand inside the compartment and while trying to climb, she fell off and would have rolled into the gap between the footboard and the platform.

“Habituated to respond to such situation, my very next action was to jump off the moving train and hold the lady and I swung her to the other direction away from the end of the platform. In the past too, there have been many instances wherein I have saved lives on the platform but back then the social media was not that active. Today I am getting calls and messages of appreciation from across the department and friends circle,” Katare said. The incident happened at around 9.30 pm and after Katare got down, he then helped the lady catch another train at 9.41pm and boarded the train with her.

She identified herself as Lakshmibai Suryawanshi, a Koparkhairane resident who had travelled to Sanpada for some personal work and was returning home when the incident took place. “I am assuming she was above 70 years as she had trouble in walking as well and her posture too was not straight. She refused to indulge in any more talk as she seemed very tired. I offered to drop her till her house, but she refused and said that she knows the way and will manage to go,” Katare added.

Being the incharge of Vashi Raiway station, which has a jurisdiction from Govandi to Seawood in harbor line and from Vashi to Rabale on the Trans harbour line, Katare is habituated to stand between the doors and monitor his staff at the railway stations even while he is going back home. Because of this habit, he was available to rescue the lady at that moment. “By travelling in standing, I keep a tab of the staff as well as incidents that happen on the railway station. If I sit during the journey, it would be a wrong message that I give to my staff. So, even if I am in civil dress, I do not prefer sitting and travelling,” he added.