Thane: Woman run over while chasing thief on railway tracks

A 29-year-old woman who was chasing a thief on the tracks between Thakurli and Kalyan was hit by a CST local on Thursday night and was declared dead by doctors at a private hospital.

A 29-year-old woman who was chasing a thief on the tracks between Thakurli and Kalyan was hit by a CST local on Thursday night and was declared dead by doctors at a private hospital.

The police said the woman, Prajakta Gupte, 29, is a resident of Kalyan and works with an IT firm in Mahape, Navi Mumbai. The incident took place on Thursday night between Thakurli and Kalyan stations, when the Kalyan local stopped at a signal near Patri Pool.

Two women who were travelling with Gupte in the compartment told the police that she fell on the tracks trying to stop the thief from snatching her handbag.

“She then started chasing the thief, when the CST bound local coming from the opposite direction hit her,” said a police officer from the Dombivli GRP.

Dyaneshwar Shelar, her daughter Shweta Shelar and two other women then informed the Kalyan Government railway police about the incident.

The motorman of the CST bound local gave a memo to the Dombivli government railway police that stated that the woman was running behind a man, when the train he was operating hit her.

“We registered a case on Friday against an unknown person and are investigating the matter. One of the relatives of the deceased is the complainant in the case. We are checking CCTV footage of Thakurli railway station to get details of the accused or for any clues that show he had boarded the train and then got down on to the tracks so that he could snatch the woman’s bag. Investigations are on,” said Datta Pabale, senior inspector, Dombivli GRP.

A case has been registered at Dombivli GRP police station.