Auto driver rides onto Virar station platform to ferry pregnant woman
The court took cognisance of Sagar Gawad’s intention and let him off with a warning
A righteous intention helped an auto driver get away with skirting the law after he drove his vehicle on to the Virar railway station platform to help a woman who went into premature labour.
According to officials, the incident took place around 9 am on Sunday when a seven-months pregnant woman and her husband were travelling in the compartment reserved for disabled persons.
Due to incessant rains, the train had halted at the station for some time. While the train was stationary, the woman started developing labour pain.
Seeing his wife’s condition, the husband started panicking and rushed out of the compartment to ask for help. He then sought the help of an auto driver whose vehicle was parked in the space allotted by Western Railway (WR) next to platform number two.
When the husband was directing him towards the compartment, the driver ended up bringing the autorickshaw on the platform itself. The woman was eventually taken to Sanjeevani Hospital in Virar, where she delivered a healthy baby.
Following the incident, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) arrested the driver Sagar Kamlakar Gawad (34) for violating rules.
“Even though Gawad’s intentions were good, he has violated the rules. Driving on the platform could have injured commuters,” said an RPF official.
He was charged under Sections 154 (rash travelling or negligent act) and 159 (disobedience of drivers) of the Railway Act, 1989 and produced in court the next day.
During his court appearance, Gawad explained the circumstances behind his actions. Taking cognisance of the same, the court dismissed all charges against him and let him off with a warning.
