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Amputee dies after being pushed from local near Bandra
| Aditi Thakur aditi.thakur@timesofindia.com | Aug 21, 2026, 04:00 IST
Amputee dies after being pushed from local near Bandra
64-year-old victim asked passenger to vacate seat in Divyang compartment; accused claims he was trying to shoo away a crow
A 64-year-old amputee died after allegedly being pushed out of a local train between Mahim and Bandra stations on Thursday. His alleged offence: Asking an unauthorised passenger to vacate a seat in a compartment reserved for persons with disabilities.
The Government Railway Police (GRP) have arrested the accused, identified as Amjad Safruddin Shaikh, 48, a footpath dweller from Churchgate. A case of murder under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) is being registered against him.
The victim, identified as Cajetan Denis Pires, a Santacruz resident, suffered severe head injuries and suspected internal haemorrhaging after falling onto the tracks near kilometre 14/03. He was rushed to KB Bhabha Hospital in Bandra, where doctors declared him dead.
According to witnesses cited by the GRP, Pires had boarded a Borivali-bound slow local at Dadar, while Shaikh boarded at Mahalaxmi. The two allegedly argued over seating in the disability-reserved compartment after Pires asked Shaikh to vacate a seat. The argument escalated, and Shaikh allegedly pushed him.
Pires, who had an amputated leg, is believed to have lost his balance and fallen from the moving train. He landed on his head and suffered severe injuries. Witnesses told police that he was bleeding from his nose and mouth and vomited after the fall. Passengers then reportedly pulled the emergency chain, bringing the train to a halt.
Western Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Vineet Abhishek said commuters alerted railway officials after the train arrived at Bandra station’s Platform No 1 at 1.24 pm.
Sub-Inspector Arun Kumar Pandey and GRP personnel reached the site and found Pires unconscious and bleeding heavily. He was taken to Bhabha Hospital, where he was brought in at around 2.45 pm.
Critical condition
Doctors at the hospital said Pires arrived as an unidentified patient in a critical condition, suffering from a severe head injury and respiratory distress. He was shifted to the ICU, where doctors initiated advanced life support and resuscitation. “The patient was brought in with a severe head injury. He was gasping, and his respiratory system was failing. The ICU team immediately started resuscitative treatment, but despite all efforts, he could not be revived,” a senior doctor said.
Police later identified Pires through his mobile phone and contacted his family. His brother-in-law, Rajesh Bandoekar, 40, along with his two children, reached Bandra Police Station after being informed of the incident.
Western Railway Deputy Commissioner of Police Sunita Thakare said Pires had been dependent on his family after losing his left leg following an accident at a worksite.
“Pires was a resident of Santacruz and had been living with his sister for several years,” Thakare said. “About six years ago, Pires worked as a plumber when he fell from a worksite and lost his left leg to amputation. He subsequently developed gangrene in his leg and became heavily dependent on his sister for support.”
About a year-and-a-half ago, Pires left his sister’s home and began living independently in Andheri, Thakare said.
Different account
The accused, meanwhile, has given police a different account of the incident. During interrogation, Shaikh allegedly claimed he was trying to shoo away a crow when the push occurred. “The accused stated that he thought a crow was entering the coach, and while trying to drive it away, he accidentally pushed the deceased,” Abhishek said.
The conflicting accounts are now part of the police investigation. Witnesses have described a dispute over a disability-reserved seat, while the accused has allegedly claimed that the push was accidental. A forensic team has been deployed to examine the scene, and the Bandra GRP inspector has also visited the spot.
Interestingly, Shaikh himself had reported being attacked with a knife on a suburban train around a year-and-a-half ago.
Samir Zaveri, a 90 per cent disabled activist, said the incident highlighted the recurring problem of able-bodied passengers allegedly occupying coaches reserved for persons with disabilities.
“I am deeply concerned by repeated incidents on Mumbai suburban trains where able-bodied passengers travel in coaches reserved for persons with disabilities. This encroachment has led to dangerous situations and even assaults on disabled passengers,” Zaveri said.
He urged railway authorities to strengthen enforcement and take prompt action against passengers who occupy disability-reserved coaches.
“I urge railway officials to treat these recent incidents as a wake-up call: Enforce prevention strictly, ensure prompt action against violators, and take immediate steps to protect vulnerable passengers,” he said.
The Government Railway Police (GRP) have arrested the accused, identified as Amjad Safruddin Shaikh, 48, a footpath dweller from Churchgate. A case of murder under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) is being registered against him.
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The victim, identified as Cajetan Denis Pires, a Santacruz resident, suffered severe head injuries and suspected internal haemorrhaging after falling onto the tracks near kilometre 14/03. He was rushed to KB Bhabha Hospital in Bandra, where doctors declared him dead.
According to witnesses cited by the GRP, Pires had boarded a Borivali-bound slow local at Dadar, while Shaikh boarded at Mahalaxmi. The two allegedly argued over seating in the disability-reserved compartment after Pires asked Shaikh to vacate a seat. The argument escalated, and Shaikh allegedly pushed him.
Pires, who had an amputated leg, is believed to have lost his balance and fallen from the moving train. He landed on his head and suffered severe injuries. Witnesses told police that he was bleeding from his nose and mouth and vomited after the fall. Passengers then reportedly pulled the emergency chain, bringing the train to a halt.
Western Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Vineet Abhishek said commuters alerted railway officials after the train arrived at Bandra station’s Platform No 1 at 1.24 pm.
Sub-Inspector Arun Kumar Pandey and GRP personnel reached the site and found Pires unconscious and bleeding heavily. He was taken to Bhabha Hospital, where he was brought in at around 2.45 pm.
Critical condition
Doctors at the hospital said Pires arrived as an unidentified patient in a critical condition, suffering from a severe head injury and respiratory distress. He was shifted to the ICU, where doctors initiated advanced life support and resuscitation. “The patient was brought in with a severe head injury. He was gasping, and his respiratory system was failing. The ICU team immediately started resuscitative treatment, but despite all efforts, he could not be revived,” a senior doctor said.
Police later identified Pires through his mobile phone and contacted his family. His brother-in-law, Rajesh Bandoekar, 40, along with his two children, reached Bandra Police Station after being informed of the incident.
Western Railway Deputy Commissioner of Police Sunita Thakare said Pires had been dependent on his family after losing his left leg following an accident at a worksite.
“Pires was a resident of Santacruz and had been living with his sister for several years,” Thakare said. “About six years ago, Pires worked as a plumber when he fell from a worksite and lost his left leg to amputation. He subsequently developed gangrene in his leg and became heavily dependent on his sister for support.”
About a year-and-a-half ago, Pires left his sister’s home and began living independently in Andheri, Thakare said.
Different account
The accused, meanwhile, has given police a different account of the incident. During interrogation, Shaikh allegedly claimed he was trying to shoo away a crow when the push occurred. “The accused stated that he thought a crow was entering the coach, and while trying to drive it away, he accidentally pushed the deceased,” Abhishek said.
The conflicting accounts are now part of the police investigation. Witnesses have described a dispute over a disability-reserved seat, while the accused has allegedly claimed that the push was accidental. A forensic team has been deployed to examine the scene, and the Bandra GRP inspector has also visited the spot.
Interestingly, Shaikh himself had reported being attacked with a knife on a suburban train around a year-and-a-half ago.
Samir Zaveri, a 90 per cent disabled activist, said the incident highlighted the recurring problem of able-bodied passengers allegedly occupying coaches reserved for persons with disabilities.
“I am deeply concerned by repeated incidents on Mumbai suburban trains where able-bodied passengers travel in coaches reserved for persons with disabilities. This encroachment has led to dangerous situations and even assaults on disabled passengers,” Zaveri said.
He urged railway authorities to strengthen enforcement and take prompt action against passengers who occupy disability-reserved coaches.
“I urge railway officials to treat these recent incidents as a wake-up call: Enforce prevention strictly, ensure prompt action against violators, and take immediate steps to protect vulnerable passengers,” he said.
