NASHIK: “We were on our duty rounds on Platform 2-3 of Nashik Road Railway Station. It was half-past noon. The Bhusawal-Lokmanya Terminus Godan Express had just arrived and took a routine halt of five minutes. Like other passengers, Riaz Ahmed Sheikh (67) got off the train to purchase water. However, the train blew its horn, signalling its time to leave. Most probably, Riaz sir didn’t hear the horn. As the train began moving, he (Riaz) noticed it and ran to catch the train.”
Railway Protection Force personnel Imran Qureshi and Rakesh Shedmake, shared their experience of saving the elderly with Deshdoot and narrated the whole incident. “When he started running to catch the train, the train had already caught up speed. He was travelling in an air-conditioned coach. As he failed to climb in his coach, he tried hopping in; in the next coach. He was holding the door’s handle from one hand, and one person inside the coach; held his other hand. The person inside tried but failed, and Riaz sir lost his balance.
When we saw it, we ran towards him to save him. One of the salesmen present on the platform reached before us to help but couldn’t help. We have been trained in handling such situations. Suddenly, I (Imran) remembered that I need to pull him from the waist to save him. The person inside the coach wasn’t leaving Riaz sir’s hand, who had already lost balance and was in between the platform and train’s gap. When I told him out loud, he let go of the hand. Shedmake and salesman helped too in saving Riaz. I needed their support and got my colleagues’ support at the right time. After we pulled Riaz up, we were successful in saving him.”
“Didn’t you fear for your life?”
There was no time to think. We saw the scene, and nothing else came into our mind but helping the elderly. Other passengers and we shouted, and the train stopped. We made him sit on his seat, and the train left. This is not the first incident we’ve handled. We have helped a lot as its duty to serve those in need. Please don’t wander on platforms and don’t board a moving train.
