Bombay High Court Directs Railways to Pay ₹80,000 Compensation for 2018 Train Fall Incident
In a significant ruling, the Bombay High Court has ordered the Central Railway to grant compensation of ₹80,000 to a passenger who fell from a moving train in January 2018. The court rejected the railway's argument that the injury was 'self-inflicted' and thus ineligible for compensation under existing rules.
Details of the 2018 Train Accident Case
The incident occurred when the man, while sitting near a train door, fell from the running train while attempting to de-board at a station that was not an official halt. The Central Railway had denied compensation, citing that the injury resulted from the passenger's own actions, which they classified as a 'self-inflicted injury' under railway regulations.
Justice Jitendra Jain's Landmark Judgment
Justice Jitendra Jain, in his judgment dated March 24, emphasized that long-distance trains often lack display boards indicating halts. He noted that when passengers take these trains for short journeys, 'if a person boards a train and the train does not have a halt at the railway station where he wants to de-board, no fault can be attributed to such a passenger.'
However, Justice Jain advised passengers to wait until the train halts at the next station and pay any necessary fines for traveling beyond their ticketed destination. He stated, 'I am conscious that at that point in time, a human being may take steps to risk their life, but it is at that point that the test of mental balance is tested. This is required in the larger interest of the dependents of the passenger.'
Court's Recommendations for Railway Safety Improvements
The judgment called for the Railway authorities to introduce a public announcement system, similar to that in Vande Bharat trains, across all trains to reduce such incidents. This recommendation aims to enhance passenger safety by providing clear information about halts and preventing risky behavior.
This ruling highlights the court's focus on passenger welfare and the need for improved safety measures in India's railway system, setting a precedent for future compensation cases involving similar circumstances.
