IANS

Mumbai, Feb 5: In a rare occurrence on the Mumbai suburban railway network, two women commuters were run over by a train Thursday, leading to a massive agitation at Virar. Police have booked the train driver and guard for "causing death by negligence".

According to Government Railway Police (GRP) senior inspector, Vasai Division, N. More - the duo have been charged under Sec. 304(a) of the Indian Penal Code (causing death by negligence) and other offences.

"Besides, we are also investigating the role of the station managers of Virar and Vasai station to ascertain whether the accident could have been prevented and two innocent lives saved," More told IANS.

Around 8.30 a.m. Thursday, the two, Shanti Kumbhar and Sampada Tambe, both in their early 20s, were run over by a train between Nala Sopara and Virar stations.

While Kumbhar was killed on the spot, Tambe succumbed to her critical injuries in the evening at Bhagwati Hospital in Borivli.

A spokesman for Western Railway said that the two women were 'trespassing' on the railway tracks and despite repeated hooting by the motorman of VR-115 Dn train, could not get off the tracks in time.

This led to the train getting delayed by 15-20 minutes, enraging the thousands of commuters waiting at Virar to catch it during the morning peak hour, he said.

The commuters blocked the tracks at different spots for nearly three hours before train services were restored around 11.15 a.m., he said. Until then, trains in the south-north direction were terminated at Vasai.

The motorman and guard have also been charged under IPC Sec. 166 (public servant disobeying law with intent to cause injuries to any person), 168 (public servant unlawfully engaging in trade) and 34 (act done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) under the CR No.06/2010, More said.

The deceased women were residents of Virar and worked in private companies in Vasai, around 10 km away.