Commuters' fury boils over as 4 run over by local trains
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MUMBAI: Services on the city's Central Railway came to a standstill for two hours as more than 5,000 people staged a rail roko at Vikhroli station on Sunday afternoon after three persons were run over and one was injured while trespassing in separate incidents.
Both local and long-distance trains had to stop in their tracks, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. As the agitation threatened to spiral out of control, personnel from the Government Railway Police, Railway Protection Force, Home Guard and the local police were rushed to the spot. The mob raised slogans blaming the lack of a foot overbridge (FOB) for the accidents. GRP commissioner Tukaram Chavan, who was present at the scene, said, "People were angry that the railway administration had not paid any heed to their demand."
While one person was knocked down at the south-end railway crossing of Ghatkopar station, the other three were hit when they were crossing the tracks in the opposite side, in the direction of Kanjur Marg station. The first incident occurred at 6.45 am, the second at 10.20 am, the third at 12.50 pm and the last one at 1.10 pm. All the victims, except a 30-year-old man who was injured at 12.50 pm, were killed, said Vikhroli station master I A Khan.
Mob disperses after home min promises to look into matter
While the dead were taken for post mortem to Rajawadi hospital, the injured is currently being treated for head and leg injuries in the same hospital.
Following the last incident, residents of the area and passengers blocked the tracks in protest. Sanjay Shintre, deputy commissioner of police (Zone VII), told TOI, "The four incidents triggered panic. The demonstration on all four tracks were started by residents of the area and they were soon joined by a local NGO and members of political parties, like the Shiv Sena and MNS." He also said that the mob demanded that the general manager of the railways be present at the site. "We immediately intimated the railway authorities, who then made an attempt to rush to the spot. However, as they were delayed, the crowd started getting restless," he added.
"As the situation worsened, we feared that the gathered people might become violent and some could even go on to loot the luggage of passengers on the four outstation trains stranded on the tracks at the station. This prompted us to resort to lathicharge and also detain about 68 agitators, including political leaders Sudhir More (SS), Ram Kadam (MNS) and Haroon Khan (NCP)," Shintre said. Seven local trains were also stranded at Vikhroli. A source added that a railway official was also manhandled.
The mob somewhat clamed down only after some members of the mob were allowed to speak to state home minister R R Patil, who reportedly assured them that the matter would be looked into. Patil made a commitment that he would hold a meeting on Monday with top railway authorities, BMC officials and police officers and that a proposal for a foot overbridge will be sent to the central government. The police then dispersed the crowd and train services resumed at 3.17 pm.
According to residents, every week, two to three persons are run over while they try to cross the tracks, said Patil, adding that the railways should take up the construction of the FOB on a priority basis.
MNS legislator Ram Kadam, who was one of the persons to be at the forefront of the protest, also came up with the same demanded. "For the past 10 to 12 years, we have been demanding the construction of an FOB at Vikhroli station. As there is no proper facility to reach the station or to cross the tracks, people often put their lives at risk and walk across the tracks," he said.
CR PRO Sriniwas Mudgerikar confirmed that services on all four rail lines were disrupted as a huge crowd blocked the tracks, adding that the CR had already been taking up drives, trying to keep people from trespassing and avoid such incidents at Vikhroli. "Pedestrians are allowed to use the existing FOB at Vikhroli to cross over from the eastern side to the western side. The construction of an FOB at the CST-end of the Vikhroli station was sanctioned a fortnight ago; the work will start shortly," said Mudgerikar. "A tender notification will be issued next week after which, it will take around six to eight months to complete the construction. We expect it to be finished by July-August next year." About the delay, Mudgerikar said a long-standing dispute with the state government and the BMC over the resettlement of the shops on either side of the level crossing had been pushing it behind. "We then decided to go on our own and construct the FOB," he said.
While a sign board telling people that they were allowed to use the FOB does exist on the bridge, locals said that many were unaware of it and put their lives at risk crossing the tracks.
So far, 325 people had been killed at Vikhroli station this year, making it the second-most dangerous crossing in the city afer Jogeshwari, said Subhash Gupta, member of National Railway Users Consultative Committee. He also alleged that the delay in the construction of the overbridge was due to a long-standing tussle between the BMC and the railways. "On November 16, at a meeting with CR general manager Kul Bhushan assured us that the FOB would be completed in the next six months and the finances had been sanctioned," he added.
Taling about the steps they have taken, R P Khilani, DIG, RPF, said, "We have requested the railways to slow down trains while entering and leaving the station. Moreover, we have also asked them to put up boards, updating the number of people being killed while crossing the tracks at this station."======================================================
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