Mumbai: Woman falls off moving train, vigilant cop comes to rescue

A 21-year-old woman, who fell on the tracks from an express train, was rescued by a traffic constable at Thane railway station on Sunday.

A 21-year-old woman, who fell on the tracks from an express train, was rescued by a traffic constable at Thane railway station on Sunday.

According to the police, Poonam Sadashiv Shewale, a TYBA student of a Mumbai college, was on her way back from Pune after an interview. The Vikhroli resident, who was travelling by Hyderabad Express, tried to get off at Thane station on platform no 5.

As the train slowed down at Thane, Shewale attempted to get off. She lost her balance and fell on the tracks. Raghunath Bajirao Kawale, a police constable with Naupada traffic division who was on his way to CST, found her lying between the train and the tracks.

“When I reached the platform to board the express train, I heard people screaming that a woman had fallen on the tracks. Without wasting time, jumped on the tracks and found her lying under the train. She was breathing,” he said.

Shewale was admitted at Thane Civil Hospital and was later shifted to JJ Hospital. She sustained injuries on her head, hands and legs and is still unconscious.

Highlighting the callous attitude of the fellow commuters, Kawale said, “No one rushed to save the girl in spite of witnessing the incident. They were busy taking photographs.

Another railway staffer came to my aid. We picked the woman from the tracks and arranged for a stretcher. She was then taken to Thane Civil Hospital.”

An officer from Thane GRP said, “Shewale had informed her mother that she will be getting off at Thane railway station and asked her mother to receive her. However, she was not aware that Hyderabad Express did not halt here.”

“When the train slowed down at the station, she may have thought that it is about to halt. She fell on the tracks while alighting from the moving train,” the officer, who reported the case, added.

Shewale’s neighbour, Kishore Mahadik, informed that she was still unconscious. “Poonam had gone for an interview at a private firm in Pune. She was supposed to return home on Sunday. Around noon, the Shewales received a call from a police constable that she had met with an accident. We rushed to Thane Civil Hospital. She was later shifted to JJ Hospital in Mumbai,” he said.