- Indian-origin woman, friend killed by NYC subway train.
- Incident at Spring Street station early Sunday morning.
- Investigation ongoing into circumstances of tragic deaths.
An Indian-origin woman and her longtime friend were killed early Sunday when a subway train struck them at a Lower Manhattan station. Malaika Chitre, 24, and Navam Kaul, 24, died around 3:15 a.m. at the Spring Street station after a southbound No. 4 train entered the platform. According to law-enforcement sources cited by the New York Post, the pair were seen hugging and kissing on the platform shortly beforehand. Kaul, who is of Nepali descent, appeared to lose his balance and fall onto the tracks, striking his head.
Chitre then went onto the tracks, apparently trying to help him. Available video shows the two on the tracks moments before the train arrived but does not clearly show how they ended up there. NYT Sources said the pair appeared calm while sitting on the tracks as the train approached. One account described the woman appearing to laugh and pull the man toward her.
Driver applied brakes but did not stop
The train operator reported seeing a man and woman on the tracks and applied the emergency brakes but could not stop in time. Approximately four of the 10-car train entered the station before it halted.
About 100 passengers were evacuated onto the platform. Chitre and Kaul were pronounced dead at the scene. Their bodies were recovered from beneath the third and fourth cars, according to an MTA incident report.
Police are investigating whether alcohol or drugs played a role and whether the pair failed to recognize the danger of remaining on the tracks. Intoxication has not been confirmed. Sources told the New York Post they do not believe the deaths were a double suicide. The NYPD investigation remains active; authorities have not yet determined whether the incident was accidental or intentional.
Chitre, from Dayton, New Jersey, graduated from Rutgers University–New Brunswick’s School of Arts and Sciences in May 2024 with a Bachelor of Science degree. She worked as a quality operations specialist at Acadia Pharmaceuticals and had recently begun a four-year Doctor of Pharmacy program at Temple University. Kaul, from Sayreville, New Jersey, attended Rutgers Business School from 2020 to 2024 but did not complete a degree. He worked as a financial data analyst at Bloomberg. The two were longtime friends who grew up in similar New Jersey communities, shared the same social circle, and celebrated festivals together.
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Friends and neighbors described them as successful, down-to-earth young professionals. A family friend said of Kaul that there was “nothing in his life that would make him do anything stupid.” Rutgers University expressed sadness over the deaths of the two former students. The investigation continues as authorities work to establish a definitive account of the tragedy.
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