The woman, who fell off a crowded local train on Friday evening and sparked a huge debate after the motorman did not stop despite commuters pulling the chain, was rescued by a teenager even as Central Railway and RPF teams looked for her on the tracks, reports Mumbai Mirror.
Those who saw Roma Talreja, a 21-year-old call centre executive, fall off a ladies special between Ghansoli and Rabale railway stations, thought she would have bled to death.
Their worst fears would have probably come true had 19-year-old Baleshwar Mishra not jumped off a Vashi-bound train to reach her.
Roma is recuperating at Maheshwari Hospital in Ulhasnagar, and Central Railway authorities are faced with extremely uncomfortable questions.
Mumbai Mirror had questioned the railway's attitude while reporting the incident on Saturday (Punctual but callous, RLYS gets it wrong). The authorities, defending the motorman's decision to not stop the train, said he was merely following instructions.
Chief PRO (Central Railway) V A Malgaonkar said on Friday, “(The motorman) slowed the train from 65 km/hr to 15 km/hr.
In such eventualities, the guard is supposed to decide if the situation warrants the train to be brought to a halt.
The guard in this case obviously looked around and did not find anything amiss.” Roma is a living example of the fact that the guard didn't look properly enough!
Recounting her horror, Roma said, “I was on my way home to Ulhasnagar from Koparkhairne. I was pushed and lost balance. I remember a searing pain after my head hit the tracks.
The next thing I remember is, I was in a rickshaw next to a young man who was holding my head.”
Baleshwar, who came to the city two months ago and resides in Navi Mumbai's Ghansoli, said a few commuters in the train he was on board saw Roma fall off the ladies special.
He said, “The train I was travelling in had slowed down considerably. I realised I could probably save a life and jumped off. I had no idea who the victim was.” After walking on the tracks for about five minutes, he spotted Roma.
He said, “I somehow managed to reach her to the main road and tried stopping the cars but they just whizzed past.
Thankfully, a kind-hearted driver of a goods carrier rickshaw stopped by.” But that was not the end of Roma and Baleshwar's ordeal.
The hospital they approached refused Roma admission citing lack of facilities. However, another hospital in Ghansoli admitted her, and on Saturday afternoon, she was shifted to a medical centre in Ulhasnagar.
For Roma, her family and her fiance Vijay Goplani, there cannot be a bigger hero than Baleshwar. Goplani said, “We plan to get married in a few months.
It would all have gone horribly wrong had Baleshwar not saved Roma. I can't understand this policy wherein a motorman drives on despite commuters pulling the chain.”
No official from Central Railway offered a comment on Roma's plight, but passengers' association has decided to take up the fight.
Madhu Kotian of Mumbai Railway Passengers' Association said, “When commuters pull the chain, the train must come to a halt. What if someone is getting molested or mugged on the train? Will they still not stop the train? In Roma's case, she could have died.”
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