Compensate wife of train victim, NHRC tells railway

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Monday asked the Indian Railway to pay a compensation of Rs.5 lakh to the wife of man who died after allegedly being thrown out of a moving train by a Train Ticket Examiner (TTE).

Rameshwar Mandal and his wife Bulki Devi were thrown out of Swatantrata Senani Express for travelling without ticket Jan 5, 2011.

The old couple from Bihar was travelling from Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh to Bhagalpur in Bihar.

"If they did not have tickets, the TTE should have proceeded in accordance with law by charging penalty or excess charge or whatever was permissible under the law," said an official of the NHRC.

"He had no business of pushing them out of the moving train. This is a serious violation of human rights, resulting in the death of the person, thereby making his wife a widow with nobody to take care of her," he said.

"The commission is of the view that Bulki Devi should be paid a reasonable compensation within a period of eight weeks, despite the fact that the matter is pending before the Railway Claims Tribunal for adjudication of the claim petition filed by Bulki Devi," said the commission.

"It is of the view that the chairman of the Railway Board pay Rs.5 lakh as compensation to the wife of senior citizen Rameshwar Mandal," said the comission.

The commission has also sought a compliance report from the Railway Board chairman with a proof of payment.