'It took cops one hour to reach my brother-in-law'

The tragic events surrounding Shah Rukh Khan, who took the August Kranti Express from Mumbai to Delhi via Gujarat to promote 'Raees' on Monday, have left him in a tough spot. As several thousand had gathered for a glimpse of the star at the Vadodara station during a 10-minute halt, the crowd went berserk, thumping on the coaches, climbing on windows and making every possible attempt to board the train. To control the crowd, the local police had to resort to lathicharge after Khan’s personal bodyguards were unable to tackle the situation.

Also read: Shah Rukh Khan breaks down while speaking to family of the deceased

Sherani’s funeral in Vadodara on Tuesday afternoon

Death at a station
Amidst the chaos, a local, Farid Khan Sherani, who was at the station to meet his sister-in-law and her daughter (a journalist traveling with SRK), suffered a cardiac arrest.

Also read: Shah Rukh Khan reacts to fan's death at Vadodara station

A member of his family informs us, “It took one hour for the cops to steer their way through the crowd to reach platform number 9 from platform number 6 where the train was stationed. When he was taken to the nearest hospital, doctors told the family (wife and three kids) that he had passed away 15 minutes ago.”

A massive crowd greets Shah Rukh Khan as he arrives in Delhi

Sherani and his wife were there to meet his sister-in-law, who was traveling to Hazrat Nizamuddin Chisti’s Dargah in Delhi. “He wasn’t expecting the stampede. He was with his daughter who fell down due to the crowd. When the lathicharge happened, the crowd went berserk and fell on him. He couldn’t get up for a long time and was asphyxiated,” says a family member.

One of the injured persons at Vadodara being carried to safety

SRK steps up
Onlookers tell mid-day that when the relatives on the train heard of his demise, they were shell-shocked. “Sherani’s sister-in-law couldn’t even cry and was complaining of breathing problems and chest pain. SRK was constantly by their side. He didn’t allow the family to get down at Godhra because it isn’t accessible. He arranged for his Man Friday, Ravi, to escort the family to the car at the end of the platform at Ratlam station. The doors were opened only after he was intimated that the mother-daughter duo is on their way to Vadodara. Moreover, SRK also called cricketers Yusuf and Irfan Pathan to help the family out with the last rites. He was constantly in touch till they reached Vadodara,” says a source.

Also read: Man dies trying to catch a glimpse of Shah Rukh Khan in Vadodara

Sunny Leone was also on board the train with husband Daniel WeberSunny Leone was also on board the train with husband Daniel Weber

However, though SRK wanted to get down at Ratlam and return to Mumbai, a bogie full of journalists was with him. “There weren’t enough vehicles or proper arrangement to send off everyone to Mumbai safely. There was also talks of them arranging for flights back from Kota, but since Delhi was barely four hours away, they decided to finish the journey and then plan the further course of action,” adds the same source.

The crowd waiting at New Delhi to greet Shah Rukh and entourage

Stunt gone awry
The train ride harks back to a similar publicity route used in November 2015 for the Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone starrer, Tamasha. However, in this case, the publicists as well as production teams grossly underestimated Khan’s star power.

“Khan’s train travel - with approximately 60 crewmembers of the yet to be released film 'Raees' - was in accordance with the procedural norms,” said Ravinder Bhakar, the chief public relations officer (CPRO) of Western Railways, adding, “Permission had been given to the film crew after the team deposited a promo fee of R1.80 lakh. Security control rooms across different zones had also been immediately intimated about the details of the trip.”

What happened in Delhi?
After reaching Delhi, Shah Rukh and his team - Sunny Leone and Nawazuddin Siddiqui - had interviews with local media, but they were cancelled at the last minute.

While they have not yet announced compensation for the bereaved family, Shah Rukh and his co-producers are already in talks. A source close to the actor, on condition of anonymity said, “In the evening, it was decided that SRK will go out to speak to the local press. A day before the release, and especially after this incident has happened; the actor is no longer trying to promote his film. But not speaking to media will look like him trying to shirk responsibility. His team is in touch with the deceased’s family and the scribe and her mother also attended the funeral after they were flown down to Mumbai last evening. SRK is back in town on Wednesday afternoon and plans to meet the family then.”

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