In a disturbing incident, a 26-year-old man was thrashed to death allegedly by 12 fellow passengers, including six women, following arguments over a seat, between the Pune and Daund railway stations on board Mumbai-Latur-Bidar Express on Thursday.
The incident took place after the deceased man — identified as Sagar Janardan Markhad — boarded a crowded second class compartment of the train along with his wife Jyoti, mother and 2-year-old daughter at around 12.45 am. He requested a sitting woman to give space for his daughter.
However, the woman concerned not only refused but she also heaped abuses on Markhad. When Markhad requested the woman not to use foul language, the woman in question would not listen.
As the arguments continued between the two sides, a group of women supporting the woman who was having a verbal duel with the male passenger, joined her and manhandled Markhad. Thereafter, the male family members of the women who were roughing up the male passenger joined the women and beat Markhad black and blue.
Before long, Markad collapsed. Efforts by his wife and mother to revive Markhad failed. Markhad died on the spot. Markhad’s wife pulled the train’s chain thrice. Though the train stopped on all three occasion, it restarted as other passengers did not help Markhad in medical aid. Meanwhile, a passenger called the railway police and informed them about the incident.
At 2 am, the train arrived at Daund station where the police took into custody the 12 passengers who had thrashed Markhad to death. Simultaneously, the police rushed Markhad to a nearby hospital where he declared dead upon admission.
“Markhad and his family members were on their way to Kurdwadi in Solapur district to attend a funeral when the incident took place. We have arrested women and men passengers who allegedly thrashed Markhad,” Pune’s Railway Police Superintendent Deepak Satore said.