Two Rutgers Alumni Killed After Falling Onto Manhattan Subway Tracks

Navam Kaul and Malaika Chitre, both 24 and from New Jersey, were killed by a southbound No. 4 train at Manhattan's Spring Street station on Sunday. Investigators say Kaul lost his footing and fell onto the tracks, striking his head, and Chitre went down after him, apparently to help. They had been seen hugging and kissing on the platform beforehand. Security video showed the two sitting on the tracks as the train approached. The train operator told investigators she saw them sitting on the tracks and activated the emergency brakes but could not stop in time. About 100 passengers were evacuated. Kaul, of Sayreville, worked as a data analyst at Bloomberg; Chitre, of Dayton, worked as an operations specialist at Acadia Pharmaceuticals. Both graduated from Rutgers University in 2024. Rajnikant Pipalia said, "There is nothing in his life that would make him do anything stupid." Investigators do not currently believe the deaths were a double suicide and are examining whether alcohol or intoxication contributed. The New York Post and americanbazaaronline put the time at about 3:14-3:15 a.m. Sunday; internewscast reported 3:15 p.m. Sunday. How the pair ended up on the tracks and what role, if any, intoxication played remain under investigation.