E-Paper
Corpse ‘travels’ with passengers for 300kms, Railways staff in soup
The passenger was declared dead in Meerut, but railway authorities allowed his companions to travel with the body till Ludhiana, where authorities said protocol had not been followed
After the body of a 40-year-old man, who passed away on Golden Temple Mail, was allowed to travel from Meerut to Ludhiana with other passagers, on Wednesday, an inquiry has been marked in the matter.
Those privy to the matter said, that in an act of “gross negligence” the railway staff allowed the body of Ranbir Singh of Moga, to be brought to Ludhiana in the same berth as other passengers.
The victim was part of a three-member group that performs kirtans and sings religious songs (Ragi Jatha) and had been in Mumbai for a month.While returning, the three boarded the Golden Temple Mail from Borivali, Mumbai. However, when the train reached near Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station, Ranbir felt unwell, following which Sanddep Gill, the travelling ticket examiner (TTE), was notified.
Gill called the railway helpline and a doctor was arranged for the patient at the Meerut station. The doctor, according to the railway officials, declared Ranbir dead. His companions urged the Meerut Railway Authorities to allow them to take the body in the same train and on their seats 69,72 and 74 in the B-5 compartment, to Ludhiana from where they would head to Moga by road.
“Instead of conducting a postmortem, and then transporting the body to his home town in an ambulance as per the rules, the railway authorities allowed the body to be kept on the same seat with other passengers, which was a mistake”, said a senior railway officer in Ludhiana.
Another officer added that the body should have been at least carried in a coffin or wrapped but the body was laid on the same seat in the train. The incident came to the fore when the group members travelling with the deceased started looking for a stretcher.
The Railway Protection Force personnel after seeing the body confronted the passengers and immediately informed the deputy station superintendent, Ludhiana Station.
According to the officials, relatives of the deceased had reached the Ludhiana Station to take the body, but the deputy station superintendent did not allow them to take away the body and instead informed the GRP and directed them to conduct legal proceedings.
Senior GRP officials, including deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Balram Rana and inspector Jaskaran Singh also reached the spot. The body was sent for postmortem to the civil hospital.
GRP writes to Meerut Railway Authorities
Inspector Jaskaran said that a report highlighting the gross errors in handling the case has been sent to the Meerut Railway Authorities. “It is shocking that they allowed a body to travel like this in a train with other passengers. They should have had the postmortem done there, the inspector said, adding that the victim had died of natural causes
Railway staff in trouble
The deputy station superintendent also informed the railway control room and a senior railway official said action would be taken against the TTE, doctor and Meerut Railway Authorities for negligence.
