Two 24-year-old longtime friends who were struck and killed by a New York City subway train over the weekend have been identified as recent Rutgers University graduates who were just beginning their careers.
Malaika Chitre and Navam Kaul, both from suburban New Jersey, died early Sunday after they were hit by a No. 4 train inside the Spring Street subway station in Lower Manhattan.
Their deaths have left family, friends and investigators searching for answers about how the pair ended up sitting on the tracks shortly before the train arrived.
Video shared on social media appeared to show Chitre and Kaul sitting calmly on the track bed moments before they were struck at around 3:15 a.m.
Law-enforcement sources said investigators were looking into whether one of the two may have fallen or climbed onto the tracks before the other followed in an attempt to help.
Authorities were also investigating whether alcohol or drugs may have played a role and whether the pair realized how much danger they were in. Suicide had not been ruled out, sources said, although no suicide notes were found.
The train operator reportedly told supervisors that Chitre appeared to be laughing while pulling Kaul toward her as they sat on the tracks.
By the time the operator spotted them, sources said there was not enough time to stop the train.
The circumstances have stunned the people who knew them.
Kaul’s neighbor, Sagid Qureshi, described him as a young man who appeared to be doing everything right.
“He was a financial analyst, doing everything right,” Qureshi said.
He added that Chitre also appeared to be doing well and said both had their entire lives ahead of them.
Chitre and Kaul grew up about 11 miles apart in Central New Jersey.
Chitre’s family lived in South Brunswick’s Summerfield development, while Kaul grew up in Sayreville’s Colony Club community.
Friends said the two shared a similar background and were part of the same South Asian social circle.
Rajnikant Pipalia, whose son was friends with Kaul, said the pair came from similar communities and spent time with the same group of friends while attending Rutgers.
Both graduated from Rutgers University in 2024, according to their LinkedIn profiles.
Chitre went on to work as a quality operations specialist at Acadia Pharmaceuticals while also studying to become a doctor of pharmacy at Temple University.
Her social media accounts showed an active young woman enjoying time with family, celebrating her dog’s birthday and traveling overseas.
In July, Chitre had traveled through Europe, including stops in Florence and Rome.
A neighbor near her family’s home remembered her as a bright and energetic young woman.
“She used to play with the kids on the block — a bright, smart girl,” the neighbor said.
The neighbor said the news was difficult to comprehend, especially the question of why she had been on the tracks.
Chitre’s family declined to comment and criticized some of the media coverage surrounding the tragedy.
Kaul was of Nepali descent, according to Pipalia, who said Kaul’s parents immigrated to the United States about 30 years ago.
Kaul’s LinkedIn profile listed him as having worked at Bloomberg as a financial data analyst. A company source said he had been working there as a contractor and that his position ended in May.
A former classmate from Sayreville War Memorial High School remembered Kaul as funny, charismatic and easygoing.
“Whenever he was around, it was really good energy,” the friend said, describing him as “down to earth, goofy, funny, and very charismatic.”
The friend said Kaul’s death was especially difficult to accept because he was only beginning his adult life.
The tragedy came just over a week after another fatal incident in the city’s subway system.
MTA worker Moet McCullum, 41, a mother of three, was struck and killed by a D train near the 161st Street-Yankee Stadium station on Sept. 3.
McCullum worked as a construction flagger and was on the southbound tracks at around 11:30 p.m. when she was hit, according to MTA officials.
Subway collisions involving passengers have increased significantly in recent years.
A 2024 report cited MTA data showing that 241 people were struck by trains in 2023. Of those incidents, 97 were fatal.
When asked for updated numbers on how many people have been struck and killed by subway trains this year, the MTA referred questions to the NYPD.
Police did not immediately provide updated figures.
The city medical examiner also did not immediately comment on the official causes of death for Chitre and Kaul.
For those who knew the two young friends, the biggest question remains unanswered.
Pipalia said there was nothing in Kaul’s life that suggested he would intentionally put himself in danger.
“There’s nothing in his life that would make him do anything stupid,” he said.
For now, investigators are still trying to determine exactly what happened in those final moments on the Spring Street tracks.
