Ex U-19 cricketer drives car on to railway platform in Mumbai

A former under-19 cricket player was arrested by Railway Protection Force (RPF) after he drove his car on to platform number 1 at Andheri suburban railway station on Monday, inconveniencing several passengers and creating confusion and chaos during peak hours.

Harmeet Singh, 24, now runs a real estate business. He has also played IPL matches for the Rajasthan Royals team and has participated in the Ranji tournament from Mumbai and Jammu and Kashmir.

This is not the first time a car has ended up on the platform. A 36-year-old taxi driver, Rajesh Yadav, had driven his car on to the same platform on November 25 last year.

Meanwhile, Singh was produced before a magistrate court at Andheri and later granted bail, said senior inspector of Andheri RPF, Manish singh Rathod.

According to the Andheri RPF, around 8am, they were informed about a car on platform number 1. Singh told the police he left his friend in Bandra and was going home to Malad when he drove his car on to the platform by mistake.

“He said he veered on to the road meant only for trucks to bring in the raw materials for construction work at the station,” said an RPF official. “He is from Punjab. He lives in Malad. He seems new to Mumbai. As of now, it looks like he did it by mistake. We see no other reason,” said the RPF official.

He has been booked under the Railway Act. The police established he had not consumed any alcohol, but he will be put through a medical test. A bat was found in his car, the police said.

Singh has been booked under sections 154 (endangering safety of persons travelling by railway by rash or negligent act or omission), 147 (Trespass and refusal to desist from trespass), 145(b) (commits any nuisance or act of indecency or uses abusive or obscene language), 145(c) (wilfully or without excuse interferes with any amenity provided by the railway administration so as to affect the comfortable travel of any passenger and 159 Disobedience of drivers or conductors of vehicles to directions of railway servant.