16 walking home to MP fall asleep on rail tracks, run over in Maharashtra

20 left from Jalna, hoping to catch a train 150 km away; were 25 km from a station

Written by: Chandan Haygunde, Avishek G Dastidar

4 min readNew Delhi, PuneMay 9, 2020 04:30 AM IST

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Documents and photographs of some of the 16 migrant workers who came under a goods train in Aurangabad Friday. (Photo: ANI)

Sixteen migrant workers — part of a group of 20 headed towards villages in Madhya Pradesh and who were resting on the tracks — were run over by a goods train in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad district early Friday morning. While 15 of them died on the spot, one person later succumbed to his injuries.

The migrant workers, mostly from villages in Shahdol and Umaria districts of Madhya Pradesh and working in different companies in Jalna, had started walking around 7 pm on Thursday.

Inspector Santosh Khetmalis of Aurangabad Rural Police said the group was walking from Jalna to Bhusawal, about 150 km away, from where they hoped to board a ‘Shramik Special’ train. “After walking for about 45 km, they stopped for some food and rest, between Badnapur and Karmad stations in Nanded Division. While some fell asleep on the tracks, the others slept a few metres away. A goods train ran over them around 5.15 am,” he said.

Railway officials said that by the time the driver noticed the people on the tracks, it was too late. “The loco pilot noticed some people along the tracks. He honked and tried to stop the train, but failed to stop in time,” said Chief Public Relations Officer of South Central Railway, Ch Rakesh said, adding that an inquiry has been ordered under the Commissioner of Railway Safety.

Expressing grief over the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “Extremely anguished by the loss of lives due to the rail accident in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. Have spoken to Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and he is closely monitoring the situation. All possible assistance required is being provided.”

The Railways has so far not decided to award any ex-gratia to the kin of the victims. A statement from Railways described as the migrants having “infringed” on the track.

According to Railway rules, anything coming in the way of a train is considered trespassing. “The incident occurred even as the loco pilot of the goods train honked the horn as soon as he noticed the group of people on the rail tracks and also made all possible efforts to stop the train,” the statement by the Railways said.

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In the Amritsar case of 2018, when 40 people on the tracks were mowed down by a train, the Railways did not pay any ex-gratia. However, the PM Relief Fund had paid Rs 2 lakh to the kin of each victim.

In a letter on Friday to all its zonal offices, the Railway Ministry said, “There is a need to start a drive to ensure safety in the prevailing situation. The relevant provisions of General Rules. should be reiterated to all concerned so that any accident, unusual occurrence etc can be prevented in future.”.

Later, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said in a statement that the state government was talking to the Centre for more trains to take migrant labourers to their respective states. “So far, one lakh labourers have reached their homes. More trains will be started to take the labourers to their destinations. In the meantime, we are making all arrangements to provide them food and shelter. Migrant labourers should not take any kind of risk and should not lose their patience,” the CM said.

Chandan Haygunde

Chandan Haygunde is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With over 20 years of experience in journalism, he is one of the region's most authoritative voices on crime, national security, and legal affairs. Professional Profile Specialization: He specialises covering issues related to Crime, Courts, National Security and Human Rights. He has done investigative reporting on incidents of terrorism, left wing extremism, espionage cases, wildlife crimes, narcotics racket, cyber crimes and sensational murder cases in Pune and other parts of Maharashtra. While working on the ‘Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Fellowship on Tigers, Tiger Habitats and Conservation’ in 2012, he reported extensively on the illegal activities in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. He is at the helm of the widely read weekly series “Pune Crime Files”. He is widely recognized for his deep-dive coverage of the cases related to the Koregaon Bhima violence in Pune and the Elgaar Parishad investigation. Key Beats: His portfolio includes covering crimes mainly under the jurisdiction of Pune City, Pune rural and Pimpri Chinchwad Police, along with the sensitive cases from the state, being investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Background: Before his long tenure at The Indian Express, he worked with other Marathi and English publications, giving him a unique grassroots understanding of Maharashtra's socio-political landscape. Awards and Recognition: He got the CMS PANOS Young Environment Journalist Award in January 2014 for investigative reports on illegal activities in Sahyadri Tiger Rerserve. He received the award for outstanding investigative journalism by the Lokmat group in Pune in January 2020, “Missing since 2010, Pune youth a ‘Maoist Commander’ in Chhattisgarh”, which appeared on July 9, 2019. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) In recent months, Chandan’s reporting has focused on high-profile terror case investigations, inter-state firearms racket, leopard movements in Pune city, cyber scams and hearings of the Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry. 1. High-Profile crimes and terrorism cases “Techie linked to Al-Qaeda preached democracy is against Shariat” (Nov 17, 2025). Reporting on the ongoing investigation into the arrest of IT professional Zubair Hangargekar (37) from Pune for alleged terror links. “The case against Jyoti Jagtap, member of ‘Maoist front’ Kabir Kala Manch and Elgaar Parishad organiser, granted interim bail by apex court” (Nov 20, 2025) Tracking the updates in the high profile Elgaar Parishad case related to the alleged naxal activities in urban areas. “How NIA arrested doctor turned ‘ISIS recruiter’ in Maharashtra terror module case” (Nov 24, 2025) After the arrest of doctors in Delhi Red Fort blast, a report on alleged terror links of a consulting anaesthetist from a Pune hospital. “A year after loco pilot averts tragedy by spotting gas cylinder on railway track, probe still inconclusive” (Dec 8, 2025). Report on the unsolved case of a suspected sabotage incident, which could have derailed a train. “No records of Sambhaji Maharaj’s cremation available: Author, ex-IAS officer Vishwas Patil tells Koregaon Bhima panel” (Dec 1, 2025) Reporting on a sensitive issue related to the Koregaon Bhima violence. 2. Inter-state firearms racket "Pune police swoop down on ‘village of pistols’ in Madhya Pradesh; 36 detained, 50 kilns destroyed" (Nov 22, 2025) "Recce a week before, microplanning: how Pune police raided ‘village of pistols’ in MP" (Nov 24, 2025) Reporting on the illegal gun manufacturing units in Umarti village, Madhya Pradesh 3. Cybercrime & Financial Scams “Pimpri Chinchwad police arrest ‘bank account supplier’ with links to China, nationwide cyber scams" (Nov 27, 2025) An investigative look at the modus opernadi of international cyber-gangs cheating high-earning professionals across the country ‘Your case linked to Pahalgam terrorist’: Pune businessman loses Rs 1.44 crore to fraudster posing as NIA chief" (Oct 18, 2025) Report on the tricks played on cyber scammers cheating people through digital arrest frauds Signature Style: The Investigative Hit Chandan is known for his ability to cultivate deep-cover sources within the police and intelligence agencies. His writing often goes beyond the "police version" of events, providing historical context and identifying systemic lapses. He is particularly respected for his balanced reporting on sensitive communal issues and his persistent tracking of the Maoist urban-link cases, making his columns essential reading for legal experts and policymakers. X (Twitter): @chandan_pune ... Read More

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