A BLACKBURN man has been found dead by a railway line near New Delhi, India.

Police in India are investigating the 'mystery' death of Babu Ali Mohammed, who was travelling with his wife in India last week on a sleeper train before the incident.

Tributes have been paid to the 58-year-old, of Inkerman Street, off Randal Street, Blackburn, who was a well-known figure in the local community.

He was discovered to be missing from his bed on the train and after a search was completed the police were called.

His body was later found on tracks behind the train by police in the Madhya Pradesh region. The incident happened on Wednesday (February 24).

His family said that at this stage they have no idea what happened to Mr Mohammed.

Many of Mr Mohammed’s relatives have now flown to India in a bid to find out what happened.

Mr Mohammed is a British national and the Foreign Office confirmed it has been informed of the death and is being kept up-to-date with the investigation.

Community leader Hussain Akhtar said his friend would be badly missed in the area.

He said: “He was always a very social man and always had time to talk and joke.

“He was very religious and a good family man.

“That is why this is all such a shock.

“He had no enemies and I can’t believe that anyone would want to hurt him.”

Mr Mohammed was on holiday in the Gujarat region of the country and was on his way to visit one of his sons, who was studying in New Delhi, when the incident happened, Mr Akhtar said.

He said: “You do not expect when someone goes on holiday that they will not come back.”

Mr Mohammed was a member of the Masjid e Tauheedul Islam mosque in Bicknell Street, near his home in Blackburn.

Blackburn peer Lord Adam Patel came from the same Indian village as Mr Mohammed’s wife and said he had known him for 40 years.

He said: “I do not understand what has happened. He was on the train, and he was found near the railway. It is a mystery.

“He was a very nice person, and the whole community knew him.”

A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We can confirm the death of a British man in New Delhi.

“Our local staff are in touch with the next on kin and they are being provided with consular assistance. The Indian authorities are investigating.”