Decomposed body of migrant worker found in Shramik train toilet

The deceased was working in a factory in Mumbai and was returning home after being rendered jobless.

LUCKNOW: The body of a migrant worker was discovered in the toilet of a Shramik Special train while it was being sanitized in the yard of Jhansi Railway station on Thursday evening.

The migrant worker, identified as Mohan Lal Sharma (38), a native of Basti district in eastern UP, might have boarded the train in Jhansi to go to Gorakhpur on May 23, Government Railway Police (GRP) authorities said.

His family members said Sharma used to work in some factory in Mumbai and was returning home after being rendered jobless.

As per sources, Sharma reached Jhansi from Mumbai by a bus on May 23 evening. In Jhansi, he boarded an inter-district Jhansi-Gorakhpur Shramik Special train (No 04168). He had to de-board the train in Gorakhpur and proceed to his native district of Basti, which is just 70 km away from there.

However, after the passengers deboarded, the train left for Jhansi on May 27 and was taken to the yard for washing and sanitization.

The railway yard workers were shocked to find the decomposed body lying in the toilet. The toilet door was half-closed as the decomposed body was lying inside. GRP authorities in Jhansi claimed that Sharma had a railway ticket dated May 23 for Jhansi-Gorakhpur Shramik Special train in his pocket. Besides, they also found Rs 28,000 cash, some books and other items in the bag Sharma was carrying with him.

Subsequently, Jhansi police contacted Sharma's family members and asked them to come to Jhansi to receive the body.

Meanwhile, the railway authorities in Jhansi claimed that the body had decomposed as it was lying unattended inside the toilet for four days.

Police said the autopsy was being conducted on Sharma's body on Friday to ascertain the cause of the death.  They further said the body would be handed over to the family after the autopsy and without the COVID-19 test as it was not possible to collect the sample from the decomposed body.