GRP Questions Eyewitness in Fatal Push from Borivali-Bound Local Train

The Government Railway Police (GRP) investigating the death of a 63-year-old disabled commuter pushed from a Borivali-bound local train have secured testimony from a speech and hearing-impaired eyewitness. Investigators brought in an expert on Friday to assist in interpreting the key witness's account of the fatal altercation.

The incident took place on Thursday inside the Divyangjan coach of the local train. The victim, identified as 63-year-old amputee Cajetan Pires, had boarded the train at Mahim station. An argument broke out shortly after between Pires and another passenger, identified by police as Amjad Shaikh, over seating in the compartment.

According to the eyewitness, who was travelling in the same coach, Shaikh had begun his journey from Lower Parel station and was occupying a seat inside the reserved compartment. When Pires boarded at Mahim, he asked Shaikh to vacate the seat because Shaikh did not have a disability. Shaikh refused the request, triggering a dispute between the two men.

The witness recounted that several fellow passengers in the coach attempted to intervene in the argument. Some co-passengers offered to give up their own seats to resolve the tension, but their efforts were unsuccessful.

The confrontation turned physical when Shaikh stood up and grabbed Pires by his shirt collar. Shaikh then pushed Pires, causing the amputee to lose his balance and fall out of the moving local train.

Police noted that there were no surveillance cameras installed inside the Divyangjan coach to capture the sequence of events. To document the case, the GRP utilized the assistance of an expert interpreter and also had the eyewitness write down a full written account of what transpired during the journey.