Foreign national dies after train altercation on Golden Temple Express in Surat

Key points

• Gaur, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Surat Railway, said, “There was a scuffle among passengers in the general compartment of the…
• When the Golden Temple Express reached Surat railway station late at night, around 15 to 20 GRP and RPF personnel…
• AHMEDABAD: A 45-year-old African national died under mysterious circumstances after allegedly an altercation with co-passengers aboard the Golden Temple Express…
• The man was taken off the train at Surat and brought to the Railway Protection Force (RPF) post, where he…

AHMEDABAD: A 45-year-old African national died under mysterious circumstances after allegedly an altercation with co-passengers aboard the Golden Temple Express train. The African national was travelling from Mumbai to Delhi.

The man was taken off the train at Surat and brought to the Railway Protection Force (RPF) post, where he suddenly collapsed during questioning. Doctors at SMIMER Hospital later declared him dead.

While forensic and FSL examinations are underway to establish the exact cause of death and identify the deceased, police have registered an accidental death case.

The incident began when the train. It had departed from Bandra Terminus and was travelling towards Delhi, was passing through Gujarat. RPF personnel on patrol received an alert from the control room that a foreign national was creating a commotion in the front general coach.

What happened

The personnel reached the compartment and found the man allegedly arguing aggressively with passengers. RPF staff initially attempted to pacify him and communicate with him in English. However, he allegedly became more agitated and secured into a physical altercation with passengers.

The situation escalated when the man allegedly picked up a fire extinguisher installed inside the train and sprayed it at passengers. The incident triggered panic in the coach, following which two passengers reportedly confronted and assaulted him. As the situation spiralled out of control, the Surat control room was alerted and GRP and RPF personnel were mobilised.

When the Golden Temple Express reached Surat railway station late at night, around 15 to 20 GRP and RPF personnel deployed on the platform entered the coach and brought the situation under control after considerable difficulty. The foreign national, along with two other passengers involved in the altercation, was taken off the train and brought to the Surat RPF post for questioning.

It was during the preliminary questioning that the incident took a shocking turn. The foreign national suddenly collapsed and became unconscious, prompting officers to seek medical assistance. He was rushed to SMIMER Hospital in a 108 ambulance, but doctors on duty declared him dead.

The details

D.H. Gaur, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Surat Railway, said, “There was a scuffle among passengers in the general compartment of the Golden Temple Express over standing near the door. After the control room received information about the quarrel, RPF and GRP personnel reached Surat railway station and took three passengers involved in the dispute off the train. During questioning, one of them, an unidentified foreign national, suddenly became unconscious. After he was examined by a railway hospital doctor, he was immediately shifted to Surat’s SMIMER Hospital through a 108 ambulance, where doctors declared him dead.”

A police official said, “A case of accidental death has been registered and further legal proceedings are underway. Prima facie, the deceased appears to be an African national who was travelling from Mumbai to Delhi. No passport, visa, identity card or purse has been recovered from him so far. However, his mobile phone has been identified, and investigators are examining the information available through it to establish his identity and determine the circumstances leading to his death.”

The mystery deepened after the post-mortem examination failed to reveal any serious external injuries. Dr Sandeep Raloti of the Forensic Medicine Department at SMIMER said the unidentified foreign national’s body was sent to the forensic department through the Surat Railway Police, where a panel of forensic experts conducted the post-mortem examination.

Dr Raloti said, “Blood and urine samples have been collected during the post-mortem and sent to the FSL to determine whether the deceased had consumed alcohol, drugs, intoxicants or any other substance. Necessary samples have also been preserved and sent to the Histopathology Department to examine whether he was suffering from any underlying cardiac or other organ-related disease.”

Why it matters

He added, “No serious injuries were identified on the body during the post-mortem examination. Currently, the exact cause of death cannot be determined. As well as the Histopathology Department’s report regarding any underlying disease.”, the final conclusion will depend on the FSL findings regarding possible consumption of alcohol, drugs or other intoxicants.

With the exact cause of death still pending, Surat Railway Police have begun a parallel investigation into the man’s identity, movements and activities before he boarded the train. Investigators are also examining his mobile phone for clues concerning his nationality, contacts, travel plans and feasible destination.

Police are simultaneously recording complaints from passengers who were allegedly injured during the train altercation. The authorities are awaiting the forensic reports and final post-mortem opinion before determining the precise circumstances surrounding the foreign national’s death.

The case remains under investigation, with several questions unanswered, including what triggered the confrontation inside the train, what caused the man’s sudden collapse at the RPF post, whether he had consumed any substance and whether an underlying medical condition played a role. The FSL and Histopathology reports are expected to provide further clarity.