Justice for Dhaval Lodaya protest reaches CST station in Mumbai

The family and friends of a victim of train derailment accident and subsequent delayed hospitalisation, Dhaval Lodaya took to the streets, trains, Ghatkopar and CST stations to protest and send out a message today.

Their campaign titled, ‘Justice for Dhaval Lodaya’ says that Lodaya lost his life because of negligence and incompetency of Railway & RPF. 

According to a petition on change.org by Anjali Maisheri, a friend of Dhaval, after the train derailed between Titwala and Ambivali station, Lodaya was found unconscious near the tracks with injuries behind his head. His friends, who were present with him, asked for co-passengers to help but no one did. Instead they started taking photos and videos with their cellphones. 

Calls were then made to both Titwala and Ambivali stations. The RPF though reached only 45 minutes after the accident. When Lodaya’s friends asked for help, they were ignored and the personnel decided to focus on barricading the area instead, claims the petition. A nagarsevak reached the area but couldn’t help and left in 10 minutes. It was only after 90 minutes, that an ambulance finally arrived.

When a friend of Lodaya’s asked the ambulance for a stretcher to reach Lodaya to the hospital, the ambulance driver and assistant said they couldn’t help as they had to provide first aid treatment to the others. Soon after, Lodaya’s friends took the stretcher to the ambulance, where he was declared dead.

There is no word from the RPF on the incident. The accident took place on March 20, after the last five coaches of a Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST)-bound Kasara local derailed between Titwala and Ambivli railway stations on the Central Railway in Thane district left 14 others injured.

Photos of the protest: