Swapping of berths apparently proved costly for the Karnataka State Cooperative Federation Director Subhash Reddy Patil, who was travelling by the ill-fated Bangalore-Nanded Express.
Patil is among the missing passengers who were in the B1 coach that caught fire near Puttaparthy. Patil, a resident of Raichur, had come to Bangalore to attend a meeting with the cooperative employees' union. On Friday night, he left to Raichur by the train though his ticket was not confirmed, said sources. Patil got a berth in another coach in the last minute. It seems Patil was not happy with that coach, and before boarding the train, he swapped his berth with another passenger, and occupied a seat in B1 coach.
Although his whereabouts were not known, some of the union leaders noticed a charred body with a gold chain and other ornaments identical to those Patil used to wear. Several members of the cooperative sector swarmed the Victoria Hospital where the bodies of the victims have been kept. They tried frantically to get details of Patil but to no avail.
Yeshwantpur MLA S T Somashekhar, a senior cooperative, too rushed to the hospital. Speaking to reporters, he said Patil's contribution to the cooperative sector is remarkable.
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