Stunt on train rooftop proves fatal for teen 60 Boys Caught For Dangerous Commute Since Fri

Mumbai: A 19-year-old youth was electrocuted while performing stunts atop a suburban train near Tilak Nagar station on Sunday afternoon. Railway Protection Force (RPF) officials said this was the 61st incident of a train stunt since Friday. 

    The deceased, Shamsher Alam Sheikh, had climbed onto the roof of a Central Railway local along with two of his friends at Mankhurd, said eyewitnesses. Sheikh came in contact of a live overhead wire and was electrocuted on the stretch between Chembur and Tilak Nagar stations. He was brought down at Tilak Nagar station and taken to Sion Hospital where he was declared dead. He had sustained more than 80% burns, said sources. 
    Sheikh's two friends disappeared into the crowd when the train stopped, eyewitnesses said. Harbour line services were delayed because of the incident and trains were running late by half an hour, sources said. Sheikh used to work as a tailor and was a resident of Shivaji Nagar, Govandi. 
    CR divisional manager Mukesh Nigam was travelling by the same train for an "inspection tour" of the Panvel-CST corridor. He was accompanied by senior divisional security commissioner Alok Bohra. The train had a huge posse of policemen in the firstclass compartment; the deceased had boarded a secondclass coach. 
    "It is unfortunate that youths still perform stunts and travel on rooftops for fun despite our repeated warnings," said Nigam. 
    Commuters TOI spoke to after the incident said they had witnessed at least six children perform stunts on trains between Mankhurd and Reay Road on Sunday afternoon. 
    Bohra, who heads the RPF, said special squads had apprehended 60 boys, all aged between 12 and 16, for performing stunts on Friday and Saturday. 
    "Despite repeated warnings and counselling sessions, children, especially those from the slum pockets of Shivaji Nagar in Govandi, continue to risk their lives by performing stunts," said Bohra. "Additional personnel will be deployed to visit every slum and conduct door-to-door interaction to dissuade people from travelling dangerously." 
Delays, cancellations dog WR's Sunday run W estern Railway commuters, especially those travelling from Vasai or Dahisar to Churchgate, faced inconvenience on Sunday afternoon. Trains were cancelled and were running late due to the ongoing megablock carried out between Borivli and Goregaon stations. TNN