Disabled Passenger Dies After Being Pushed from Train Near Bandra Creek
A 62-year-old passenger with disabilities, Cajetan Denis Peris, died after allegedly being pushed from a moving Churchgate-Borivali slow local train near Bandra Creek on August 20 following an argument over seating inside a reserved Divyangjan coach.
The incident took place at approximately 1:22 pm. The accused, identified as 48-year-old Amajad Safriddin Shaikh, had boarded the train at Lower Parel at 1:09 pm, while Peris boarded at Mahim at 1:19 pm. According to Western Railway, Shaikh was travelling in the compartment reserved for persons with disabilities despite being ineligible to do so. Both individuals were reportedly travelling without valid tickets or passes.
Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel attended the site at 1:24 pm and handed Shaikh over to the Government Railway Police (GRP) at 1:26 pm. Peris was rushed to Bhabha Hospital, where doctors declared him dead at 3:05 pm.
The fatal altercation occurred amid ongoing concerns regarding unauthorized commuters entering reserved coaches. Western Railway penalised 5,414 passengers for illegally entering coaches designated for persons with disabilities between January 1 and August 20, recovering ₹20.68 lakh in fines through regular checks and special enforcement drives.
According to official figures, 4,890 passengers were prosecuted under Section 155(1)(a) of the Railways Act, leading to court-imposed fines amounting to ₹10.20 lakh. Another 524 passengers were proceeded against under Section 155(1) under the Jan Vishwas Act, accounting for ₹10.48 lakh in fines.
Disability-rights advocates highlighted that the volume of violations points to an urgent need for stricter monitoring. Nitin Gaikwad, president of Nirdhar Viklang Vikas Samajik Sangh, stated that unauthorised entry by general passengers remains a persistent problem and that existing railway actions have not been sufficient. He urged authorities to increase regular checks in reserved compartments and pursue stricter penalties against violators to keep the coaches safe and accessible.
