Mumbai Comedian Stranded at Worli Metro Station for 45 Minutes
A stand-up comedian from Mumbai who uses a wheelchair has triggered widespread outrage online. He claims metro authorities left him stranded at Worli station for over forty-five minutes. The reason was a completely non-functional lift.
"One of the Most Horrific Nights"
Karn Shah shared his distressing experience in a video on Instagram. He described the ordeal as one of the most horrific nights of his life. Shah, who has appeared on Samay Raina's YouTube show India's Got Latent, said the incident highlights the persistent inaccessibility of public infrastructure for disabled individuals.
In the video, Shah explained the situation. The only lift at Worli Metro Station was not working. This failure trapped him inside the station with no safe way to exit. "I've been waiting here for over 45 minutes," he said. "Unfortunately, there is only one working lift at Worli, and that too isn't working."
Alleged Dismissal by Station Staff
Shah's account of what happened next is deeply concerning. He asked station staff for help. According to Shah, they told him, "Aap ghar paidal chale jao," which means "Go home walking." They gave this advice despite him being in a wheelchair.
Shah then pointed his camera at the busy road outside the station. "This is a busy main road," he stated. "Cars, buses, bikes are all moving. And they expect me to go from Worli to Dadar like this."
Failed Emergency Helplines
The comedian also reported that emergency helplines provided no assistance. Shah said he tried calling the metro's emergency number two or three times. Each attempt failed.
"They say they'll connect you to someone, but the call disconnects in two seconds," he explained. "No one picks up."
Forced Onto the Road Without Basic Facilities
With no official help arriving, Shah faced another urgent problem. He needed to use a washroom. The lack of a working lift meant there was no wheelchair-accessible washroom available to him.
He was forced to move onto the road by himself. "Nothing is accessible," Shah said in the video. "There's no wheelchair-friendly washroom because the metro isn't working. I don't know what to say anymore."
"Accessibility Is Basic Human Dignity"
In the caption of his Instagram post, Shah emphasized that this was more than just a broken lift. It represented a total systemic failure.
"Tonight I wasn't scared because I'm disabled," he wrote. "I was scared because the system failed me at every step — lifts, helplines, roads, washrooms." He made a powerful statement: "Accessibility is not luxury infrastructure. It is basic human dignity."
Public Reaction and Demand for Accountability
The video quickly went viral, sparking significant public anger. Many users called the incident a clear systemic failure. Comments compared India's infrastructure unfavorably with accessibility standards in other countries. There were strong demands for authorities to take responsibility.
One user expressed sympathy and a call for change: "This is just terrible. This needs to be fixed. Thank you for raising this and so sorry you had to go through this."
Another comment highlighted the daily struggle: "You need an insane amount of determination to live with such an infrastructure for accessibility, really pray the system does something about this post the elections."
A third user stated bluntly: "India isn't wheelchair friendly yet. Sorry you had to go through this."
Some responses used sarcasm to criticize officials. One post read: "Brilliant job. Keep harassing citizens so everyone leaves the city."
Awaiting an Official Response
As of now, the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation has not issued any public statement. They have not addressed the incident or the serious allegations made in Karn Shah's viral video. The public and disability rights advocates continue to wait for an explanation and a commitment to improve accessibility.
