Passengers create ruckus on board Shanti Express over missing belongings

Passengers create ruckus on board Shanti Express over missing belongings 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  07.12.2024

Ahmedabad : Passengers in the First AC coach of the Shanti Express, travelling from Indore to Ahmedabad, were shocked when women travellers discovered that their belongings were missing. A commotion ensued when railway protection force officials declined to record complaints whilst the train was in motion, insisting passengers must alight at a station to do so. Officials were unwilling to stop the train for complaint registration.

The incident occurred around 3.30am, between Nagda and Ujjain, when a woman passenger noticed her purse and bag were missing. She alerted other passengers. Himangini Kalantri, another passenger of the AC coach, stated, “I heard noise outside my compartment. A woman passenger was looking for her stuff, her bag, and purse, as everything went missing. As other passengers started gathering near her seat, an attendant came and informed us that he found a bag in the washroom.” Kalantri added, “Usually, when I travel alone, I prefer the First AC coach as it is safe.” After recovering the items, passengers attempted to report the incident on the railway complaint number. However, the responding officers were uncooperative. The ticket checker and officials instead criticised the passengers for not securing their compartment from inside. 

According to Kalantri, she contacted the railway complaint platform, while the staff insisted on filing complaints at Ahmedabad. But other passengers refused to continue the journey. “I pulled the chain on four oc casions as we wanted action. After 20 minutes of ruckus, a police officer came to register the complaint,” she explained. Additional bags were discovered in the washrooms during the complaint registration process. “We found six bags in different washrooms, which were probably stolen. It is suspected that if it was happening across all coaches, there was a gang active on the train,” Kalantri said.  She expressed concern about single women travellers being targeted and suggested possible staff involvement, either directly or indirectly, in such incidents. 

Ticketless travellers paid ₹8.7cr in fines 

Ahmedabad : The Ahmedabad division of Western Railway collected Rs 13.46 crore between April and Nov in fines from passengers who were caught during a ticket checking drive and were carrying unauthorised luggage. The railway authorities said that to ensure comfortable travel and better services for all legitimate passengers, intensive ticket checking campaigns were conducted. The Ahmedabad division collected over Rs 8.71 crore from more than 94,600 passengers for ticketless travel. Additionally, Rs 4.70 crore in fines were imposed on around 81,500 unauthorized travellers. “Usually, passengers are required to book heavy luggage in the luggage van, but they travel with such heavy luggage in the train, and hence they were also booked,” said a senior railway official. TNN