THE mysterious deaths of two friends who were hit by a New York City subway train while sitting on the tracks are still being investigated by police.

Malaika Chitre and Navam Kaul, both 24 years old and recent Rutgers University graduates from New Jersey, were killed around 3:15am on Sunday when a train struck them in Manhattan.

Navam Kaul’s death has stunned friends and family

NYPD investigators have told The U.S. Sun they are still looking into the mysterious deaths of Kaul and Malaika Chitre

Footage circulating on social media appeared to show the pair sitting on the subway tracks at Spring Street station in New York City, shortly before the train approached.

The footage shows the two young students appearing to sit and face each other on the tracks, not making any sudden movements just before the train made impact.

Investigators were examining whether alcohol or drugs may have impaired their judgment.

Suicide has not been ruled out as a cause of death, although no notes indicating so were found at the scene.

“On Sunday, September 13, 2026, at approximately 0314 hours, police responded to a 911 call for two aided individuals, at the Spring Street subway station, within the confines of Transit District 4/5 Precinct,” an NYPD spokesperson told The U.S Sun via e-mail.

“Upon arrival, officers observed a 24-year-old female and a 24-year-old male on the roadbed who had been struck by a southbound 4 train. EMS responded and pronounced both individuals deceased on scene. The investigation remains ongoing.”

Sources suggested one of the victims may have fallen or climbed onto the tracks, and the other followed, possibly attempting to help.

The train operator told supervisors that Chitre appeared to be laughing as she pulled Kaul toward her while the pair sat on the tracks.

The operator did not have enough time to stop the train, sources said.

The circumstances have stunned family members, friends and neighbors, who described Chitre and Kaul as successful young people at the beginning of their careers.

“I was shocked. He was a financial analyst, doing everything right,” Sagid Qureshi, Kaul’s former next-door neighbor, told the New York Post.

“Good people doing so well, with their whole lives ahead of them. It’s just so sad.”

The city medical examiner has not yet released their causes of death.

Chitre and Kaul both graduated from Rutgers University in 2024, according to their LinkedIn profiles.

They grew up about 11 miles apart in South Brunswick and Sayreville in New Jersey, communities with sizable South Asian populations, and shared a social circle during college.

Chitre worked as a quality operations specialist at Acadia Pharmaceuticals while studying to become a doctor of pharmacy at Temple University, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Her social media accounts featured photos of family gatherings, her Bernese Mountain Dog and a European vacation she took in July, including visits to Florence and Rome.

A neighbor who lives near Chitre’s family home remembered her as a bright and outgoing child.

“She used to play with the kids on the block — a bright, smart girl,” the neighbor said.

“I was shocked when I heard about this. It’s just so weird. I’m still not understanding: why on the track?”

Kaul, who was of Nepali descent, worked as a financial data analyst at Bloomberg, according to his LinkedIn profile.

A source familiar with his employment said he had been a contract worker whose job ended in May.

A former high school friend described Kaul as funny, charismatic and easygoing.

“Whenever he was around, it was really good energy,” the friend said.

“He was really a cool guy — just down-to-earth, goofy, funny and very charismatic as well. It’s just so shocking.”

The deaths came less than two weeks after MTA worker Moet McCullum, 41, was fatally struck by a D train while working on the tracks near Yankee Stadium on September 3, according to the MTA.

The number of people struck by New York City subway trains has increased in recent years.

In 2023, MTA officials recorded 241 people struck by trains, including 97 who died, according to figures previously reported by The City Reporter.

Source: https://www.the-sun.com/news/17009115/subway-nyc-deaths-investigation-malaika-chitre-navam-kaul/