KOCHI: An unidentified man was found hanging inside the toilet of the compartment for the disabled on the Malabar Express when it reached Kollam railway station on Thursday. The train was going towards Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station. The body of the deceased was found by the guard who had come in to check whether anybody was occupying the compartment at around 6 am.
According to the railway protection force, primary investigations have revealed that the man in his fifties had boarded the train at Kayamkulam railway station. "The guard had at that time asked him to shift to the general compartment since it is illegal for a physically abled person to occupy the coach set aside for disabled persons. However, he refused to move and the guard left not wanting to escalate the matter," said an RPF official.
However, when the train reached Kollam, the guard again went in to check the disabled coach and didn't find the man. "So he checked the toilet, where he found the man hanging from the overhead pipe using the blue lungi he was wearing," said the RPF official. As per the police, the death has been registered as a case of suicide.
The RPF official said, "As per the statement of the travellers in the coach next to the disabled compartment, the man had been travelling in the general compartment. But he had got down and boarded the disabled coach at Kayamkulam station." Following the discovery, the train was detained at Kollam and the body was removed by the RPF and government railway police officers. No identification documents or cards were found on the man.
The coach was sealed and the train then proceeded to Thiruvananthapuram. Further investigation is on, the police said.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, are worried about a friend, or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 9152987821, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm).