Law student jumps before Metro train

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: In a horrifying incident, a first-year law student died after allegedly jumping before an oncoming metro train at Attiguppe metro station in the city on Thursday.

The Attiguppe security officials said the incident took place around 2:10 pm. The deceased was identified as Dhruv Thakkar, a student of BA LLB at National Law School of India University in Bengaluru.

He hailed from Mumbai and had been staying here to pursue studies, the police said. 

The security officials said that the incident took place within a few seconds, before anyone could react, the boy was hit by a train.

"As the train ran over the boy, his body was severely mangled and the police had a tough time recovering his body from the tracks," said the security official.

The Namma Metro Services on the Purple Line between Magadi Road and Challaghatta station were disrupted for a brief time. However, train services from Magadi Road to Whitefield remain available.

An official from the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) Operations and Maintenance, said that the youth died after coming under a moving train heading towards Mysuru Road.

"We halted the services and informed the police immediately," he said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, West Division, S Girish said that the student was seen talking over his mobile phone just before he fell onto the tracks.

"An investigation is underway to ascertain whether the boy accidentally fell onto the tracks or deliberately jumped to end his life," he said.

Police have launched investigations and are reviewing CCTV footage. Meanwhile the body has been shifted to Victoria Hospital mortuary for an autopsy.

Recent cases of security lapse

1. Namma Metro officials on March 12, spotted a person walking on the viaduct near the tracks at 2:30 pm leading to suspension of metro services, between Nayandahalli and Challaghatta, for 27 minutes.
2.  On January 5, a 23-yearold male passenger attempted suicide by jumping in front of an approaching Metro train at Jalahalli Metro Station. The incident caused disruptions on the Bengaluru Metro’s Green Line (Nagasandra-Silk Institute) services for approximately 50 minutes. The injured man was later admitted to a hospital where he recovered.
3.  Metro operations had also come to a halt for 15 minutes on January 1 due to an incident at Indira Nagar station where a woman jumped onto the metro track to retrieve her phone, which she had accidentally dropped. As a result, metro officials switched off the power supply to ensure safety. Metro passengers have been demanding that the BMRCL install screen doors at the metro platforms to prevent such incidents.