Train Maintenance Negligence! Passenger Found Dead in Coach Toilet 24 Hours After Gone Missing
Mangaluru: Reports reveal that in the toilet of the B3 coach of Train No 12133 Mumbai CSMT-Mangaluru Junction Superfast Express, the body of Mohan S. Bangera, who was travelling from Mumbai to Mangaluru on April 18, was found dead. The indifferent attitude of the railway personnel in tracing a missing Mangaluru-bound passenger onboard Mumbai CSMT-Mangaluru Junction Superfast Express (12133) has come to the fore after his dead body was found in the coach toilet nearly 24 hours after he was reported missing when the train returned to Mumbai CSMT.
However, the brother of the deceased, believes that the timely intervention of the Railway personnel could have helped save his life. A co-passenger travelling in a B3 coach of the train reportedly alerted the travelling ticket examiner in Madgaon that the passenger on Berth 39 (Mohan S Bangera) was not seen from 5 a.m. of April 19. The message was communicated to his relatives, including his wife Lalitha and elder brother Rama S Bangera.
Mohan Bangera, 56, a native of Kateel near Mangaluru who ran his father’s milk parlour at Mahim-Dharavi in Mumbai, had boarded the train on April 18 night to attend the family’s 50th annual Yakshagana Seve in Kateel on Tuesday. He had an upset stomach while boarding the train, Rama told the media. On inquiring with TTEs whether they checked toilets, they told him they did which was nothing but false.
A businessman at Surathkal near Mangaluru and Mohan’s brother, Rama went to Surathkal Railway Station on April 19 in search of his brother. Railway Protection Force personnel told him that Mohan must have alighted at some en-route station and urged him to rush to Madgaon immediately to check the CCTV footage. Meanwhile, the train arriving at Mangaluru Junction at 1.05 p.m, underwent watering and coach cleaning, including toilet cleaning, before it left for CSMT at 2 p.m. The cleaning agency reported having cleaned all four toilets of the B1 coach. The head TTE formally handed over Mohan’s belongings to his wife duly reporting it to authorities concerned.
After filing a complaint with the Government Railway Police at Mangaluru Central the same day, Rama rushed to Madgaon (Goa) and verified CCTV footage, but found nothing. The next day, he was informed from Mumbai that Mohan’s body was found in the toilet of the B3 coach. The body was sent by the same train on April 21 to Mangaluru.
Rama speaking to the media said, “I was carried away by assurances of personnel that my brother was alive, could have alighted en route and therefore did not check toilets. Yet, there was gross negligence by the Railway personnel and the RPF in not checking toilets. My brother’s body was emanating a foul smell with unscientific packing on arrival at Mangaluru, though I had paid Rs10,500 towards packing charges. This is a gross insult to a dead body”. Rama also questioned the accountability of the Railways towards passenger safety and said such a situation should not happen to anyone.
