Mumbai: Gangman dies on tracks after being hit by train commuter?

According to colleagues, the victim was reportedly kicked by some passengers who were performing stunts in a Churchgate-bound western line train

A railway gangman on maintenance duty on Mumbai tracks died after he was allegedly kicked by a passenger doing stunts onboard a local train. The incident occurred around 9 am on Wednesday morning on the Western Railway line between Mahalaxmi and Lower Parel stations. Another gangman who was on duty said that the victim, Shravan Laxman Sanap (46), was kicked by a passenger onboard a passing local train, as a result, he lost his balance and got hit by the train. 

Western Railway spokesperson said that the matter was under investigation and it would be difficult to assess at this stage as to what exactly happened. Trade unions alleged that a delay in taking the victim to the hospital resulted in his death.  The union claimed that the ambulance at Mahalaxmi station had no driver due to which the Sanap had to be shifted in a cab, leading to delay during the crucial golden hour.

A colleague, who was on duty with Sanap told officials that as the Churchgate-bound train passed, Sanap was kicked by someone and he lost his balance and fell down. He was hit by the train as a result of which he was grievously injured. Sanap was taken to Nair Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. Western Railway chief public relations officer Ravinder Bhakar said that the incident is being investigated, however, he denied that there were delays in shifting the victim to the hospital.

Mumbai's suburban railway network is the busiest in the country, with a train running every two to three minutes. And so, the biggest task is managing this frequency, which puts the spotlight on the gangmen, engineers and others working on railway tracks, who battle death for the job regularly.

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