The Bombay High Court has finally ended a 17-year legal struggle fought by the parents of a teenager who died in a Mumbai local train accident in 2009. The judgment has brought relief to the grieving family and highlighted that delayed justice can still be achieved through persistence. The victim, 16-year-old Arogyaraj Chettiar, was the son of daily wage labourers Rayappa and Victoria Chettiar. On June 20, 2009, he boarded a crowded local train from Goregaon to Churchgate along with a friend. Both of them had left their homes in search of employment opportunities. During the journey, he reportedly fell from the moving train near Jogeshwari station and suffered severe injuries, leading to his death.
After the tragedy, Chettiar’s parents approached the Railway Claims Tribunal seeking compensation for their son’s death. However, their plea was dismissed in 2016 after railway authorities argued that the teenager had been injured while crossing railway tracks and was not a victim of a train accident. Challenging the tribunal’s order, the family filed a petition before the Bombay High Court. They presented evidence showing that the boy possessed a valid train ticket between Goregaon and Churchgate, proving he was a legitimate passenger. In addition, the teenager’s friend testified before the court that Chettiar had accidentally fallen from the overcrowded fast local train near Jogeshwari station.
While hearing the matter, Justice Jitendra Jain of the Bombay High Court rejected the Western Railway’s argument that the boy was crossing railway tracks when the accident occurred. The court ruled that the evidence clearly pointed towards an accidental fall from a moving train caused by overcrowding. It observed that such conclusions could not be drawn merely from assumptions presented by the railway authorities. The High Court also criticised the Railway Claims Tribunal for overlooking important evidence placed before it during the proceedings. To avoid further delay in a case pending since 2009, the court decided to independently examine the available material and deliver a final verdict.
The High Court further questioned several technical claims raised by the railway administration during the hearing. It dismissed the station map submitted by the railway, noting that the structure of Jogeshwari station had changed considerably since 2009, making the map unreliable for determining the exact circumstances of the accident. The court also rejected the railway’s argument that the body was found on the fast track while the train operated on the slow line, clarifying that platforms 2 and 3 are interconnected. Additionally, the bench disagreed with observations regarding the nature of the injuries, stating that the tribunal was not qualified to make medical conclusions without expert opinion.
Bringing the prolonged legal battle to an end, the Bombay High Court directed the railway authorities to pay compensation of Rs 8 lakh to the Chettiar family within 12 weeks. The court described the tribunal’s earlier decision as a “serious error” because it ignored vital evidence supporting the family’s claim. The ruling has been viewed as a significant reminder of the difficulties faced by ordinary citizens seeking justice in long-pending cases. For the Chettiar family, the judgment not only offers financial relief but also serves as recognition of the truth behind their son’s tragic death after nearly two decades of legal proceedings.