Bhiwani Tragedy: Veteran Athlete Falls from Train After Winning Gold
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Bhiwani (Haryana), March 24 (NationPress) A 70-year-old athlete from the Bhiwani district of Haryana tragically lost his life after reportedly falling from a moving Shatabdi Express train while heading home after achieving a gold medal at a national sports competition, according to the Government Railway Police (GRP) on Tuesday.
The individual, named Phool Kumar, had participated in the 5th Khelo Masters National Games in Chandigarh from March 20 to 22, where he earned a gold medal. A retired Chief Ticket Inspector of the Railways, Phool Kumar remained active in sports post-retirement and had traveled to Chandigarh with fellow athletes for the event.
The incident occurred on the morning of March 22 as he was on board the Chandigarh-Delhi Shatabdi Express. He is believed to have fallen from the train between Rathdhana and Narela railway stations under uncertain circumstances.
Sub-Inspector Jogendra Singh, the officer in charge of the investigation, reported that around 6:30 a.m. on March 22, the station master at Rathdhana alerted the police about a body discovered on the tracks. “Upon receiving the information, a GRP team quickly arrived at the location, recovered the body, and transported it to the district civil hospital's mortuary,” he stated.
The train's loco pilot also notified railway officials after witnessing the incident, prompting the initiation of necessary actions.
Due to the lack of immediate identification, the body was kept at the mortuary until it was identified on Monday morning when family members of Phool Kumar arrived.
Authorities indicated that after fulfilling legal requirements, including a post-mortem exam, the body was returned to the family.
Officials noted that a case has been filed, and further investigation is ongoing to clarify the exact circumstances surrounding the fall. All potential angles, including accidental falls and other factors are being explored.
Local residents and fellow athletes expressed their shock over this unfortunate incident.