Mumbai, June 16: A fight over seats and boarding the train first-something that most Mumbai commuters go through every day-cost a 22-year-old Nalasopara youth his life on Monday morning.
Lavesh Palande was on his way to work when a scuffle with a fellow passenger, Anil Utekar (22), on platform number 1 of Nalasopara station resulted in the former’s death after he collided with a moving train. Palande’s widow, Smita, was inconsolable-they had wed in April and had moved into their dream home only two days ago.
Palande and Utekar had had a fight over a seat inside the train compartment only a couple of days ago, almost coming to blows, and the animosity spilled over to Monday morning. “Palande and Utekar used to board a Virar local from Nalasopara every day,’’ an investigating officer said. The duo came face to face again at Nalasopara around 8.40 am on Monday.
This time, they had a fight over who would get into the train first. “Palande and Utekar started hitting each other. Unmindful of an oncoming train, Utekar pushed Palande backwards. The latter bumped into the front motorman’s cabin of the train and suffered severe injuries to his skull,’’ the officer said. Incidentally, Palande’s older brother, Mangesh, was in the adjoining compartment, having already jumped into the train to reserve a seat.
Accompanied by his co-passengers, Mangesh rushed his younger brother to the Alliance hospital at Nalasopara. But Palande had already breathed his last in his brother’s arms and was declared dead when he was brought to the hospital. Utekar too had sustained injuries and was given first-aid. The Vasai railway police later arrested him on charges of murder.
The mood at Sai Siddhi building, where Palande shared an apartment with his brother Mangesh until two days ago, was sombre. Relatives and friends turned up in the hundreds to mourn his death.
Palande was the youngest of three siblings. He worked as a clerk at Saga Mall in the Bandra-Kurla Complex. One of his brothers, Milind, arrived from their hometown in Khed in Ratnagiri after learning of the incident. He lost consciousness on seeing Palande’s body.
Palande’s wife, Smita, was older than him. She too worked at the Saga Mall where the couple had first met and fallen in love. In April, they had an inter-caste marriage. Palande had been living in Sai Siddhi building for nearly five years before moving into a new apartment at Saphale on Saturday.
“Palande was popular in the area as he used to participate actively in organising the annual Ganeshotsav festivities. He was also the shaka sanghatak (an office-bearer) of the students’ wing of the Shiv Sena at Nala Sopara,’’ a friend, Hemant Pawar, said. Friends described Palande as a sincere and friendly youth.
The funeral took place on Monday night at Vasai.
—Agencies–