Indian-Origin Woman Killed Trying to Save Friend on New York Subway Tracks
New York — An Indian-origin woman was killed while trying to save a friend who had fallen onto subway tracks in Manhattan, with both struck by an oncoming train that could not stop in time, police said.
The incident happened early Sunday morning at a Manhattan subway station while the two friends were waiting for a train, according to police.
Navam Kaul fell onto the tracks, and Malaika Chitre jumped down in an attempt to save him, authorities said. Both were struck and killed by the approaching train.
Police said Monday that New York Police Department detectives were investigating the incident.
The train operator told supervisors that there was not enough time to stop after seeing the two people on the tracks, the New York Post reported, citing sources.
Kaul and Chitre grew up in nearby New Jersey towns and both graduated from Rutgers University in 2024.
Rajnikant Pipalia, whose son was a friend of Kaul, told the Post that Kaul’s family had immigrated from Nepal.
Kaul and Chitre “grew up in the same world” and were part of the “same South Asian group hanging out together, enjoying the same festivals,” Pipalia said.
The Post also reported that Chitre’s family criticized some media coverage of the deaths, saying certain reports included sensational speculation that was not supported by facts.
Chitre was pursuing a doctorate in pharmacy studies at Temple University while working as a quality operations specialist at Acadia Pharmaceuticals, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Kaul, who held a business degree, worked as a data analyst at Bloomberg, according to his LinkedIn profile. (Source: IANS)
