The Bombay High Court on Wednesday ordered the Western Railway to pay Rs 8 lakh in compensation to the parents of Arogyaraj Chettiar, a 16-year-old who died after falling from a moving local train near Jogeshwari station in Mumbai on June 20, 2009. The court held that the death occurred due to an accidental fall from the train and rejected the railway's claim that the boy was crossing the tracks.

Chettiar, a job seeker, was travelling with a friend from Goregaon to Churchgate when he fell from the overcrowded train around 2:13 pm. He was rushed to hospital but died the same night. His parents, Rayappa and Victoria Chettiar, filed a compensation claim with the Railway Claims Tribunal, which rejected it in 2016, citing lack of evidence that he was a bona fide passenger. The High Court found that the tribunal ignored critical evidence, including a valid ticket and eyewitness testimony.

Justice Jitendra Jain, presiding over the single bench, dismissed the railway's arguments, including a station map based on current infrastructure and claims about the location of the body. The court noted platforms 2 and 3 at Jogeshwari are combined, making it plausible for a passenger to fall onto the fast track. It also refused to speculate on injuries, stating it was not a medical authority.

The court criticized the tribunal for a 'serious error' in not evaluating available evidence and chose to adjudicate the matter directly to prevent further delay. The compensation must be disbursed within 12 weeks.