A 19-year-old student of Jamia Millia Islamia died after he came in contact with a high-tension wire above a rail tanker on March 4.
The deceased was identified as Mohammad Ayub, a resident of Old Delhi’s Farash Khana.
According to the police, the incident happened when Ayub and his three cousins had gone to offer evening prayers at a shrine in Chilla Sharif, close to the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah.
Wrong decision
The shrine is situated next to railway tracks and was built in the memory of Ayub’s uncle and a former caretaker of the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargarh.
After the prayers, a goods train stationed some distance away from the Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station caught the attention of the group and made them curious about which liquid it was carrying.
“As a few drops spilled out from the bottom of the train, they started arguing among themselves,” said Ayub’s mother, Nasreen.
Ayub then decided to climb one of the wagons to check what the container was carrying. A mounted ladder made his task easier.
“No sooner did he go up than the current flowing through the wire pulled him towards itself. Within minutes, he was charred to death,” said Ms. Nasreen.
A senior police officer said the current flowing through the wire was 25,000 volts.
Meanwhile, Ms. Nasreen dismissed media reports of Ayub’s death being a failed attempt at clicking a selfie.
“He was too camera-shy. Even at the wedding which he had attended earlier in the day, he was reluctant to get clicked. Also, his phone didn’t have a camera,” said the mother.
Foul play ruled out
A senior police officer also ruled out the selfie angle and said Ayub’s phone was found in his pocket when his body was brought down. The police have ruled out foul play and have not registered a case.
