A Nigerian man, whose identity has not been disclosed, has died after his arrest by Railway Protection Force (RPF) officials at Surat Railway Station in India’s Gujarat state.
He was reportedly travelling from Mumbai to Delhi aboard the Golden Temple Express when officials detained him at Surat following an alleged altercation with fellow passengers, according to a report by The Indian Express.
Authorities said he was arrested on August 17 after a passenger contacted the railway helpline to report that the Nigerian national and another passenger were allegedly fighting near one of the train's gates.
He was accused of spraying a fire extinguisher at co-passengers during the altercation while the train travelled between Vapi and Surat stations.
Man Collapsed During Questioning, Was Declared Dead On Arrival
The man was detained at Surat and taken to the RPF office for questioning, where he reportedly collapsed.
He was subsequently taken to the Surat Municipal Institute of Medical Education and Research Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
The Surat Government Railway Police (GRP), the unit responsible for law and order at railway premises separate from the RPF, which handles railway property and passenger security, registered a case of “accidental death,” while a post-mortem examination conducted on August 18 was awaiting its report as of Wednesday evening.
Preliminary findings indicated the deceased was a Nigerian national who lived in Vasai, Mumbai.
“After primary investigations, it is believed that the deceased was a Nigerian national. When Surat RPF caught him, he didn’t have any of his identity cards with him,” Western Railway Superintendent of Police Abhay Soni said.
Man Had Two Prior Cocaine Trafficking Arrests, Police Say
Soni said the man had previously been arrested twice by police in Mumbai in connection with cocaine trafficking cases.
“He lived in Vasai (Mumbai) and was arrested twice by Malwani and Malad police in Mumbai for drug (cocaine) trafficking cases in 2018,” he said.
The investigation into the death is being conducted by Deputy Superintendent of Police D.H. Gaur, with Indian authorities yet to disclose the man’s full identity or confirm whether Nigerian consular officials have been notified of the case.
