Indian Railways passenger death sparks allegations of 12-hour delay

Passengers aboard the Gitanjali Express have alleged that the body of a 45-year-old cancer patient, Binod Paswan, remained in a train coach for approximately 12 hours following his death on October 24.

Paswan, a resident of West Bengal, was traveling from Mumbai to Howrah after receiving treatment at Tata Memorial Hospital. Passengers claim they informed a ticket examiner of his death around 8:00 AM, but were told they had to wait for a doctor to confirm the passing. They allege that no effective action was taken for several hours, forcing fellow travelers to continue their journey alongside the deceased.

The issue was escalated on social media around 7:00 PM, tagging Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. The body was eventually removed at Tatanagar Junction in Jharkhand after a station doctor confirmed the death at approximately 8:30 PM.

Railway officials provided a different account. Aditya Chaudhary, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager of the Chakradharpur Railway Division, stated that officials were only notified at 7:45 PM that a passenger was lying unconscious in the M-2 coach. An investigation into the incident is reportedly underway.