Mumbai Bassist Jeremy Fernand, 19, Found Dead on Railway Tracks

Sunday morning was the last time 19-year-old Mumbai musician Jeremy Fernand’s friends heard from him, on a WhatsApp group chat. Fernand, who was apparently travelling at the time, had inquired about a football match that was going to be televised later that evening. Unfortunately, the teen never made it home to watch his favorite team Arsenal in action. Fernand was involved in what seems to be a train accident; a motorman found him unconscious on the tracks between Vile Parle and Andheri stations on Sunday evening. The railway police took Fernand to Cooper Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

A regular on the indie gig scene for the past two years, Fernand was known among peers as a promising musician who could play a variety of styles. His stints included performing with his pop rock band Strike Three as well as with singer-songwriters Vernon Noronha, Shanay Shah and guitarist-vocalist Pradeep Mathews.

Although Fernand moved to Bengaluru in June to work at a social media marketing company, he would often travel to Mumbai to play gigs. Recently, when Strike Three””the band he quit earlier this year–was booked for a slot on November 23rd at Hard Rock Café Andheri in Mumbai, the members asked Fernand to join them on stage for the show. Keyboardist Brent Tauro says, “We were just like, ”˜Let’s ask Jeremy if he is free,’ and so he came to Mumbai.” Tauro adds, “The eerie part about this whole thing is that he went around promoting it saying, ”˜This is my last gig.’”