Teenager killed in Mumbai after he leans out of running train, hits head on pole

Zuber Shaikh was returning to his house in Wadala after appearing for his final secondary school certificate (SSC) exam paper

A 17-year-old student died on Friday after he hit his head on an electric pole while leaning out of a Panvel-bound train, near Dockyard Road station. The teenager, identified as Zuber Siddique Shaikh, fell off the train and was run over by the same train.

Youngsters perform stunts from a moving train on the Central Railway line in Mumbai. (FOR REPRESENTATION/ HT FILE)

Shaikh was returning to his house in Wadala after appearing for his final secondary school certificate (SSC) exam paper.

According to Wadala Government Railway Police (GRP) officers, Shaikh appeared for Geography exam on Friday at his school and left the exam centre around 1pm. He then went to a mosque to offer Friday prayers after which he was returning home with four friends.

Rajendra Pal, senior police inspector of Wadala GRP, said Shaikh and his friends boarded the general compartment of a Panvel-bound train at 2.30pm.

The boys were leaning outside the train dangerously when the train was in motion, Pal said. “When the train was about to reach Dockyard Road Station, Shaikh’s head hit the electric pole between two tracks and he fell down. As he fell, he came under the train and his right hand was crushed,” the officer said.

Shaikh was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. “We have registered a case of accidental death (ADR) and are investigating the case. Shaikh’s parents have been informed about the accident,” added Pal.

In 2018,19 people had died after crashing into railway poles when leaning dangerously outside running trains.

Pal said when they catch children who do stunts on trains, the offenders and their parents are given counselling by GRP officers.

“We have counselled many school children and their parents about the dangers of travelling dangerously on train footboards, but they never listen,” he said.

“We show them photos of children who were run over by trains and lost their lives. We tell the parents not to let their child travel alone and to see that they are chaperoned.”

“When we catch kids leaning outside trains, we also threaten that we will book them, but it doesn’t seem to stop,” he said.