Karnataka: Youth who fell off train while clicking selfies found dead on river bank

Days after going missing, the body of a 19-year-old youth was found from the banks of a river and according to the police, he died while taking selfies leaning out of a moving train in Srirangapatna, the cops informed Thursday.

Upparpet Police in Bengaluru recovered the body from the banks of the Lokapavani river in Srirangapatna and the victim was identified as Abhishek, who worked as a helper at a bar and restaurant in Gandhinagar in Bengaluru.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP West) Sanjeev Patil said Abhishek and his four friends boarded a train to Mandya on the night of November 6 from Majestic to attend a village festival.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP West) Sanjeev Patil said Abhishek and his four friends boarded a train to Mandya on the night of November 6 from Majestic to attend a village festival. “He called his mother from the station before boarding the train to inform her that he was coming home. While the train was approaching Pandavapura, he was seen clicking selfies near the door of the coach, as per the statement of one of his friends. He allegedly lost his balance and was seen hanging onto the coach door and disappeared while the train was moving.”

“His friends got down at Mandya and searched for him on the tracks before alerting his family members. As Abhishek did not come home, his parents filed a missing complaint at the police station and during the probe, we found his body on November 15 near Srirangapatna,” Patil added.

After several days of searching, the railway police and local fishermen found his body from the banks of the river.

According to the police, preliminary investigation showed Abhishek clung to an iron bar on the train door and bent his body outside. “While doing so, he may have failed to notice the train approaching a bridge on the canal and was hit by the railing. He fell into the canal and was washed away at least 6 km from the spot where he fell,” Patil said,

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After several days of searching, the railway police and local fishermen found his body from the banks of the river. The police have taken up a case of unnatural death and handed over the body to his family members.

Patil also appealed to the public not to take selfies near the doors of a moving train and risk their lives.