In a heart stopping move, an alert railway police constable has saved the life of a passenger, who was about to board the Charminar Express at the Chennai Central station at around 6pm on Friday.
CCTV footage from the station shows a man in a pink shirt slipping and falling between the platform and the train that was about to depart. He is holding on to the door when he falls into the gap, as the train begins to move slowly. Other passengers rush to help but the constable makes it to the victim first.
The railway police head constable Mahendran can be seen rushing to his aid and then pulling him out with the help of others present at the station. The guard at the station was reportedly informed and the train stopped for the passenger to get on board again.
The miraculous rescue, caught on camera has grabbed eyeballs across the state. The identity of the man Mahendran rescued remains unknown as he boarded the train soon after he was saved.
When contacted, all that Mahendran had to say was, "I was just doing my duty."
This is not the first time the railway police has saved a life by acting fast. In November last year, RPF constable K Shanmugham rescued a man whose legs got stuck in the narrow gap between the train's floor and track.
Seeing the dangerous scene unfolding, Shanmugam helped him without regard for his own safety. Due to his presence of mind and efforts, the man was pulled free.
In the past, the RPF has rued that such incidences were common as people arrive in the last minute to catch trains. And while several such instances occur on a weekly basis, only few are caught on tape.
"This keeps happening at all stations. But now we recognise police who work to rescue passengers and have even awarded them in the past," says the Railway PRO.