“No Sane Person Would De-Board a Running Train”: Gujarat High Court Rejects Railways’ Suicide Theory

The Gujarat High Court upheld an order directing the Railways to pay ₹8 lakh compensation to the mother of a passenger who died after falling from a moving train.

The Railways had argued that the deceased may have committed suicide or acted negligently. Rejecting this contention, the Court observed that “no sane person would de-board a running train.”

It also noted that the Railways failed to complete the mandatory investigation within the prescribed time and could not prove negligence or suicide.

The Court further held that the absence of a recovered ticket alone does not disqualify a victim from being treated as a bona fide passenger.

[UOI v. Mandabai]