Two Indian-Origin Friends Die on NYC Subway Track: New Details Emerge About Their Final Moments

Malaika Chitre and Navam Kaul were reportedly embracing on a New York subway platform before both ended up on the tracks and were struck by a train.

The two 24-year-old friends from New Jersey died in the incident at Spring Street station in Lower Manhattan early on Sunday, September 13. Police were alerted at about 3.14am after the pair was struck by a southbound No. 4 train.

What Happened Before The Train Arrived

New details reported by the New York Post, citing law-enforcement sources, indicate that Chitre and Kaul were seen hugging and kissing on the platform shortly before the incident.

According to those accounts, Kaul appeared to lose his balance and fell onto the tracks, apparently hitting his head. Chitre then reportedly climbed down from the platform to help him.

A purported surveillance video later showed the two sitting on the tracks before the train arrived. The footage, along with witness accounts, is being examined as investigators try to establish exactly how the pair ended up in the path of the train.

Train Operator Tried To Stop

The approaching train operator reportedly saw the pair on the tracks and attempted to brake, but there was not enough time to prevent the collision.

Emergency personnel responded to the station, but both Chitre and Kaul were pronounced dead at the scene. About 100 passengers were evacuated following the incident, according to reports.

The circumstances surrounding the deaths remain under investigation. Reports have examined several possibilities, including an accidental fall and whether intoxication may have affected the pair's actions.

A New York Post report citing sources said investigators did not believe the incident was a case of double suicide. That assessment remains part of the ongoing investigation, rather than a final determination of the circumstances.

Who Were Malaika Chitre And Navam Kaul?

Chitre, who was from Dayton, New Jersey, and Kaul, who lived in Sayreville, New Jersey, were longtime friends and had attended Rutgers University.

Both were 24 and had graduated from Rutgers about two years before their deaths. Reports said they grew up only a few miles apart and belonged to the same South Asian social circle.

Chitre had been working as a quality operations specialist at Acadia Pharmaceuticals. She was also studying for a Doctor of Pharmacy degree at Temple University, according to information cited from her LinkedIn profile.

Kaul had worked as a financial data analyst at Bloomberg in New York. A source cited by the New York Post said he had been a contract worker whose employment ended in May.

Kaul's family had roots in Nepal. Reports said his parents moved from Nepal to the United States about three decades ago and that he grew up in Sayreville.

Investigation Continues

The investigation is focused on reconstructing the moments between the pair being on the platform and their presence on the tracks.

Surveillance footage and witness accounts are among the material being examined. While reports have provided new details about the pair's final moments, authorities have not publicly established a definitive account of why both were on the tracks when the train approached.

The deaths have drawn attention in New Jersey and among the South Asian community because of the pair's age, university background and longstanding friendship.