'Standing near train door not negligence'

Bombay HC on rush hours overcrowding

- Urvi Mahajani

The Bombay High Court, while lamenting the plight of Mumbaikars who endure long commutes on overcrowded suburban trains, has ruled that passengers who stand near the train door during peak hours, risking life, to make their way to work cannot be deemed negligent in case of an accident.

Upholding the compensation awarded to the family of a man who died in a railway accident, the court refused to accept the railway authority's contention that the accident was caused by the victim's negligent behavior, as he was standing on the footboard near the train's door while traveling.