Why railway employees at Mumbai’s CSMT called a flash strike on Thursday which led to the deaths of two passengers
The Central Railway’s worker unions went on a nearly hour-long flash strike Thursday evening, due to which no trains plied during rush hour, leading to massive crowding on platforms at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj terminus (CSMT). Five people who had waited there for nearly an hour eventually decided to cross the tracks and leave when a train hit them, killing two individuals.
The deceased were identified as Hailey Mohmaya, 19, of Matunga, and Suryakant Naik, 45, a resident of Mira Road. Three others were injured in the incident, of which the condition of one woman was reported to be critical.
Why did railway employees go on strike?
Railway officials who report to the central government have been upset with the Government Railway Police (GRP), which reports to the Maharashtra government, over the fact that the latter registered a First Information Report (FIR) against two Central Railway engineers. The FIR was registered in connection with an incident in Mumbra in June this year when five people died and six others were injured. Soon after the FIR was registered on November 1, the railway employees began threatening to go on strike.
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What is the Mumbra incident?
On June 9, eight people fell off two trains that were going in opposite directions between Mumbra and Diva railway stations. While five people died, six others – including three who were inside the trains – sustained injuries as their ribs were crushed.
The Central Railway carried out its own inquiry, which found that the incident took place as one of the commuters standing on the footboard of a crowded train was carrying a large bag that hit those on the footboard of the other train coming from the opposite direction.
The report said this caused a domino effect in which eight commuters fell off the trains. It, however, did not blame anyone for the incident and gave a clean chit to Central Railway’s employees.
Why did the GRP then register an FIR in the case?
The Thane GRP, which had filed an accidental death report in the matter, found during its investigation that it was negligence on the part of the engineers belonging to the Central Railway that caused the trains to move very close to each other, resulting in the accident. The GRP then registered an FIR naming two Central Railway engineers and other senior officials.
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On what basis were they found guilty?
The GRP probe registered an FIR in the matter based on the finding by Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI) and its own officers. It mentions that it had been raining for days prior to June 9 when the incident took place, and the drain near the track was choked up due to which the gravel under the railway track came out and the ground near the platform sank a bit. It mentioned that railway engineers inspected the track, but did not carry out maintenance work.
It further said that later, when they changed the track, welding work was not done due to which the track was not held in place. It further mentioned that as per railway rules, the speed limit of the trains should have been 69.4 kmph, but they allowed trains to go at 75 kmph, due to which the tracks were disturbed. It further mentioned that one side of the track was higher than the other.
The probe concluded that due to these factors, the tracks were not maintained properly due to which the trains running on it came close to each other, causing the accident.
Who did the GRP book and under what charges?
The FIR was registered against Assistant Divisional Engineer Vishal Dolas, Senior Section Engineer Samar Yadav, and other officials responsible for the upkeep of the tracks. They were booked under sections related to culpable homicide not amounting to murder and acts endangering the life and personal safety of others.
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How did railway officials respond to the FIR?
Railway officials alleged that the FIR was not based on proper facts, and said that VJTI was not technically equipped to probe the incident. The officials further said that they would meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and others in connection with the matter, and warned about a strike which they eventually carried out on Thursday evening, paralysing the city during peak hours.
