Kottayam: The court in Kottayam has awarded ₹9.09 lakh as compensation to the family of a man who died after falling through a gap in the Nagampadam railway foot over bridge. The order was issued by Kottayam Principal Munsiff Judge R Jyothi Babu. The deceased, Sebastian, a checker on a private bus operating on the Kottayam–Ernakulam route, met with a tragic end on the night of July 9, 2016. While returning home to Kanjirathanam after duty, he fell through an open section of the overbridge — unaware that slabs had been removed for maintenance.

The foot overbridge, constructed following a demand by the Kottayam municipality, proved fatal due to negligence. The court observed that the carelessness of the railway authorities and the municipality, particularly the failure to provide adequate lighting and issue public warnings about the ongoing maintenance work, directly led to the accident.

Sebastian had a fixed daily routine, leaving for work from Kuruppanthara early in the morning and returning to the Nagampadam bus stand at night after completing his shift in Kodimatha. He regularly used the railway foot overbridge to reach Nagampadam and catch a bus home.

In its ruling, the court held both the Railway Department and the Kottayam Municipality jointly liable, directing them to pay the compensation with 6% annual interest from the date of the incident.

Advocate Francis Jacob represented Sebastian’s family in court.

Despite the tragedy and repeated public concern, the Nagampadam foot overbridge remains poorly lit. Neither the railway nor the municipality has taken steps to install proper lighting. As night falls, the structure becomes a hotspot for stray dogs and anti-social elements, a recurring issue flagged in a report by the Malayala Manorama.