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Eyewitness recalls chilling moment NM College teacher was stabbed on Malad train

Trivedi, who was with the Maths teacher who lost his life inside the local train, recalls the moments before and after the attack and the frantic effort to save his colleague’s life.

Alok Singh on the same local train when Singh was fatally stabbed allegdely by a fellow passenger at Malad station on Saturday eveningAlok Singh (left) was fatally stabbed allegedly by a fellow passenger at Malad station on Saturday evening; grieving relatives of Singh. (Express Photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)

Sudhir Trivedi, a lecturer at N M College, was travelling with Alok Singh on the same local train when Singh was fatally stabbed allegdely by a fellow passenger at Malad station on Saturday evening. In a first-person account narrated to Pallavi Smart during the funeral of Singh, Trivedi recalls the moments before and after the attack and the frantic effort to save his colleague’s life.

I was travelling with Alok that evening. We both teach at N M College in Vile Parle, though we do not travel together every day because our timings vary. That day, we got a share-rickshaw till Andheri station and decided to board a Borivali-bound local from there.
I had suggested that we could have tea outside the station, but Alok said he was in a hurry, so I did not insist. We went straight inside to catch the train.

Since it was between 5.30 pm and 6 pm, we expected the train to be crowded. Still, what happened was completely shocking.

Because I live in Nalasopara, I stood further inside the compartment. Alok stood near the door, in the gangway, as he had to get down at Malad. As the train was about to reach Malad station, a man rudely asked Alok to move ahead so that he could get down. Alok replied that there was a woman passenger standing in front of him.

Suddenly, the man attacked Alok. At first, I thought he had punched him on the side of his stomach. It was only later that I realised he had stabbed him. I saw the man jump off the train immediately. I ran after him when Alok called out to me from behind. When I turned back, I saw blood coming out of his wound.

I rushed to Alok and pressed my handkerchief against his wound to stop the bleeding. I shouted at people climbing the foot-over bridge to stop the attacker, but nobody seemed to understand what had happened or paid attention.

Some passengers on the platform came forward and gave their handkerchiefs to help control the bleeding. We made Alok sit on a bench on the platform, but within a couple of minutes, he fell unconscious. After some time, the police arrived and took him to the hospital.

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I gave the police a physical description of the attacker based on what I had seen and remembered. Later, around midnight, I was shown CCTV footage and I identified the attacker.

Even now, I keep thinking that if we had stopped for tea for just a few minutes, this might never have happened.

Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education. She is a highly Trustworthy source for policy, institutional developments, and systemic issues affecting students, teachers, and parents in Maharashtra. Expertise Senior Role: As a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, her designation reflects her seniority, specialized knowledge, and the editorial rigor applied to her reporting. Core Authority & Specialization: Pallavi Smart is the definitive voice for Education news in the region. Her coverage scope is comprehensive: Policy and Regulatory Changes: Reports on major shifts in educational policy, including the restructuring of entrance exams (e.g., MHT-CET adopting the JEE Main model), the draft regulatory framework for coaching classes, and revised teacher recruitment processes. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): Provides in-depth reporting on prestigious institutes like IIT Bombay and TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences), covering institutional initiatives, administrative debates (e.g., renaming IIT Bombay), and student welfare programs (e.g., mandatory mental health courses). Teachers and Eligibility: Covers crucial issues affecting the teaching fraternity, such as the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service teachers and related controversies and application numbers. Student Welfare & Rights: Focuses on issues concerning students, including the rollout of government scholarships, the financial strain on schools due to midday meal reimbursement delays, and instances of child rights violations (e.g., the Powai studio hostage crisis). Admissions and Vacancy: Tracks the outcome of centralized admission processes (e.g., MBBS, BPharm) and analyzes vacancy concerns, providing essential data-driven insights for parents and students. Credentials & Trustworthiness Dedicated Beat: Her consistent focus on the "KG to PG" education beat allows her to develop unparalleled subject matter knowledge, ensuring her reports are accurate, detailed, and contextualized. Proactive Reporting: Her articles frequently break news on policy and institutional planning, providing the public with timely, essential information about a sector that directly impacts millions of families. She tweets @Pallavi_Smart ... Read More

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