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Mumbai Local Train Tragedy: Former Central Railway GM Subodh Jain Blames Backpacks & Internal Crowd Pressure For Mumbra Mishap

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1 year ago

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Mumbai: The tragic incident near Mumbra station, where 13 passengers fell from a moving local train, has reignited serious concerns over safety in Mumbai’s suburban railway network. Former General Manager of Central Railway and ex-Member (Engineering) of the Railway Board, Subodh Jain, has weighed in on the mishap, blaming a combination of internal crowd force and the growing risk posed by bulky backpacks.

The accident occurred on Monday morning between Mumbra and Diva stations, triggering widespread outrage among daily commuters and rail users who have long complained about inadequate infrastructure, infrequent trains, and poor crowd control during peak hours.

Jain termed such mass-fall incidents as “extremely rare” but indicative of systemic failure. “An incident where multiple passengers fall simultaneously due to internal jostling is highly unusual and points to serious lapses in crowd management and train capacity planning,” he said.

He emphasized that it wasn’t an external collision or track-related issue but rather the intense internal pressure inside an overcrowded coach that likely pushed commuters out. “The overcrowding is such that even a small imbalance or movement can create a chain reaction,” Jain added.

The former top boss of Central Railway also flagged the unintentional danger posed by modern-day commuter habits, particularly the use of large and heavy backpacks. In overcrowded coaches, backpacks protruding from the bodies of standing passengers can inadvertently brush against those hanging at the train’s edge, causing them to lose balance. This risk multiplies when two packed trains pass each other at close range.

“Backpacks may seem harmless, but in a packed moving train, they can act as destabilizers. When a commuter is hanging at the edge and gets nudged by a backpack — even slightly — the result can be fatal,” he explained.

When asked about the track curvature at the accident site, Jain stated that although the curve may have worsened the situation, it cannot be regarded as the main cause of the incident

Jain also provided a technical breakdown of train spacing, noting that the minimum distance between two tracks in Mumbai’s suburban section is about 4.5 metres. With a train width of 3.66 metres and allowing 150 mm for dynamic sway, the remaining net clearance is approximately 690 mm. “This space is generally enough to accommodate the body sway of a standing or hanging passenger, provided the overcrowding remains limited to one direction,” he said.

However, Jain acknowledged that there are exceptions. Some narrow sections, such as the stretch between Masjid and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), have reduced track gaps. In these high-risk areas, speed restrictions are already enforced to minimize risk.

Blaming the prolonged delay in crucial infrastructure projects like the 5th and 6th line corridors, which have remained stagnant for over a decade on both the Central and Western suburban railway systems, former Railway Board Member Subodh Jain stated that the expansion of the suburban network has been severely hampered. As a result, the level of overcrowding has significantly worsened.

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Maharashtra

Kasturba Marg Police recover 100 stolen mobile phones, return them to their original owners

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23 hours ago

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October 3, 2026

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Acting on complaints regarding stolen and lost mobile phones within the jurisdiction of the Kasturba Marg Police Station in Mumbai, police analyzed data from the CEIR portal and conducted technical investigations. By verifying device details, IMEI numbers, and user information, officers from the Kasturba Marg Police Station tracked down and recovered a total of 100 mobile phones from locations across Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra.

The total estimated value of the 100 recovered mobile phones is ₹2,270,658. Of these, 18 phones have already been returned to their respective owners/complainants, including: 1) Rajendra Puri, 2) Khush Saw, 3) Kripa Lodhiya, 4) Shreya Satam, 5) Atul Sathe, 6) Priyanka Mistri, 7) Banu Tarang, 8) Prem Gupta, 9) Adya Shaikh, 10) Shweta Shah, 11) Sandhya Pandit, 12) Deepak Sawdekar, 13) Saurabh Jhangar, 14) Ketan Shete, 15) Onkar Raut, 16) Jayalal Yadav, 17) Lakshmi Appa Kripagiri, and 18) Praveen Dubey. The process of returning the remaining phones to their owners is currently underway.

This operation was carried out under the supervision of the DCP (North, Zone 3), Mumbai, by the team at Kasturba Marg Police Station, led by Balasaheb Bunkar.

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Crime

CBI books Mumbai firm, officials in Rs 93.44 crore loan fraud case

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1 day ago

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October 3, 2026

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Mumbai, Oct 3: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted searches at multiple premises in Mumbai and registered a Rs 93.44 crore bank fraud case against officials of Hanjer Biotech Energies on the complaint of Punjab National Bank, an official said on Saturday.

The CBI conducted searches on Friday at multiple premises linked to the directors of Hanjer Biotech Energies in Mumbai, the CBI said in a statement.

The CBI registered the instant case on September 30, 2026, on the complaint of Punjab National Bank, SAM Branch, Mumbai, against Hanjer Biotech Energies, its directors and guarantors, unknown public servants and unknown private persons.

The accused were booked for offences of criminal conspiracy for cheating and offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, resulting in alleged wrongful loss of approximately Rs 93.44 Crore to the bank.

It was alleged that the accused entered into a criminal conspiracy, obtained term loan of Rs 135 crore on the invoices of its related party and diverted/siphoned off the funds for other purposes for which it was not sanctioned, causing loss to the bank, the CBI said.

During the searches on Friday, incriminating bank documents and property documents relevant to the investigation were recovered and seized.

Investigation is continuing to ascertain the full extent of the conspiracy, identify the role of all involved persons, including public servants and private individuals, and trace the end-use of the loan funds, the CBI said.

In a separate case on Friday, the CBI arrested an Executive Engineer of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Mumbai, his relative and three officials of a Mumbai-based real estate group, in a Rs 50 lakh bribery case related to the issuance of a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for a land parcel.

Vikrant Verma, Executive Engineer, CPWD Mumbai; Saurav Gupta, Verma’s relative based in Pune; and Arvind Semwal, Vice President, Baya Company, were among those named in the FIR by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday, an official said.

The arrested accused were produced before the Special CBI Judge in Mumbai on Friday, the official said in a statement.

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Maharashtra

Monsoon Withdraws Further from Maharashtra; Hot and Humid Weather Alert Issued for Konkan Region

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1 day ago

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October 3, 2026

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MUMBAI PRESS — The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Saturday, October 3, 2026, that the Southwest Monsoon has withdrawn from parts of Maharashtra, as well as the remaining regions of North India, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh.

The current withdrawal line of the Southwest Monsoon passes through Harnai, Baramati, Parbhani, and Brahmapuri in Maharashtra, extending northeastward through Raipur, Ranchi, and Supaul. Weather officials stated that conditions are favorable for further retreat from most parts of Marathwada, Vidarbha, and additional areas of Madhya Maharashtra over the next 2 to 3 days.

Hot and Humid Stretch for Coastal Maharashtra
Residents in the coastal belt should prepare for elevated discomfort over the weekend. The IMD has issued a hot and humid weather warning for Konkan & Goa prevailing from October 3 through October 5.
Following this dry and muggy stretch, mild weather activity is expected to return to the region. Isolated to scattered rainfall is forecast across Konkan & Goa and Madhya Maharashtra between October 6 and October 9.

Southern and Northeastern Forecast
While monsoon forces retreat from central and northern parts of India, southern states are bracing for heavy downpours. Isolated heavy rainfall is predicted over Kerala, Mahe, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal from October 4 to October 6, with South Interior Karnataka expected to receive heavy spells on October 5 and 6.

In the northeast, isolated heavy rainfall is expected to continue over Assam, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh through October 3.

Advisory for Fishermen
Due to lower-tropospheric cyclonic circulations over the Arabian Sea, the IMD has urged fishermen not to venture into the sea along and off the Kerala coast, Lakshadweep, Maldives, and the Comorin area on October 3. Farmers in heavy rainfall zones have also been advised to ensure proper field drainage and move harvested crops to covered storage to prevent crop damage.

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