Pune: Two youth hit by train while taking selfie on tracks

Taking a selfie on the railway tracks cost two youth, who came from Rajasthan to Pune after their board examination to take up education as well as learn vocational course dearly, as one of them died when the train ran over him while the another is critical and undergoing treatment.

A case of accidental death has been reported with Government Railway police station and the deceased youth has been identified as Shravan Mangalram Ghanchi (20), who hailed from Jodhpur in Rajasthan and resided at Dhangrababa temple, Thergaon, while his friend has been identified as Bavansingh Babusingh Rathod (19) from Rajasthan.

Bavansingh is injured and is undergoing treatment at a Hadapsar-based private hospital. Shravan is survived by four siblings, including one sister. His parents are into farming business. The incident took place on July 31. In the brief moment that Bavansingh gained consciousness, he told the police, "Shravan loved to click selfies and as he had shaved his beard, he wanted to post a good picture of himself on Facebook."

Head constable Ganesh Gaikwad of the Government railway police said, "Duo hails from Rajasthan and had appeared for tenth board examination at their hometown. In order to get some vocational training along with college education, both had came to Pune and were residing at Thergaon at their relative's house. Both boys used to travel by local train and were learning mobile repairing course at a Sangvi-based mall mobile shop. On July 31 around 6 pm, they reached Pimpri railway station and purchased their boarding tickets. After taking the tickets, the duo was fascinated by the greenery while passing by. They were wearing headphones and had gone down on the railway tracks to click a selfie. Despite a honking alert they did not respond to the oncoming train."

He added, "We questioned the local train driver who claimed that he was repeatedly warning them by honking but could not stop the train in time due to the speed and the tracks being slippery due to the rains. The impact of the train was such that Shravan was thrown away while his friend Bavansingh sustained injuries to his head and hands. When we picked up the body of Shravan he had has mobile handset with him. Bavansingh is fighting for his life"

Earlier, in the Akurdi, Aditya Shirsath, a 19-year-old youth, had died while crossing the railway line. He had his headphones on and didn't spot the oncoming locomotive.