25,000-volt shock proves fatal for 'rooftop' traveller on local train

Days after the Western Railway (WR) switched from 1,500 volt Direct Current (DC) to 25,000 volt Alternating Current (AC) traction system, the city saw the first casualty in rooftop travelling on Thursday morning when a 35-year-old man fell off a suburban local apparently after being electrocuted.

The man was found dead on the tracks between Charni Road and Grant Road stations.

According to WR officials, the victim was travelling on a Borivli-bound fast local.

The deceased has been identified as Ketan Laxmichand Sawla (35), a resident of Ghatkopar. “Sawla was working as an office boy in a private company at Charni Road. His body was taken to the Nair Hospital for post-mortem,” said a police officer from the Churchgate railway police station.

The police said the incident came to light at around 11.45am when a Railway Police Force officer spotted Sawla falling off the roof on tracks. He informed the station master of the Grant Road station, Madhusudan Mishra, who informed the Government Railway Police personnel.

On receiving information, the police reached the spot with a stretcher and four licence porters. Then they took the body the station.

The police said a telephone diary and Rs1, 300 in cash was found from his pocket. The RPF constable patrolling at the Grant Road station claimed that the victim fell from the roof top. “Both his hands and left leg were broken. There were injury marks on his temple, jaw and both arm pits. His shirt was completely torned,” said the police.

Senior police inspector Megha Kadam of the Churchgate railway police station said, “We have registered a case of accidental death.We are waiting for the post-mortem report to know the exact cause of Sawla’s death.”

Western Railway’s chief spokesperson said, “We have undertaken extensive campaigns to sensitise the general public about the dangers of roof top travel. The railway police also prosecutes those travelling in such a manner as it is illegal as per the Indian Railways Act and a violator could be jailed for a maximum of six months.”