 "SHOCKING! Man thrashed, held hostage by IRCTC pantry staff on Gitanjali Express over food complaint (WATCH)")
synopsis
Passengers were allegedly assaulted and a social worker was held hostage by IRCTC staffers after they complained about “low quantity and high price” of food onboard the Gitanjali Express.
Passengers were allegedly assaulted and a social worker was held hostage by IRCTC staffers after they complained about “low quantity and high price” of food onboard the Gitanjali Express.
The incident, which unfolded on April 6 aboard the Howrah-Mumbai Gitanjali Express, involved social worker Satyajit Burman from Ambarnath, who stepped in to help fellow passengers protesting the pantry service. IRCTC pantry staff allegedly cornered him inside the pantry car, physically assaulted him, and detained him for over an hour—until the Railway Protection Force (RPF) rescued him.
On the basis of Burman's complaint, the Kalyan Government Railway Police (GRP) has registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act against seven IRCTC staffers, including Ranjeet Behera, Suman Karan, and five others whose identities remain unknown.
The case has now been transferred to Badnera GRP for further investigation, as the incident occurred under their jurisdiction.
Burman, who was returning to Mumbai after a work trip to Kolkata, recalled that the train was nearing Badnera when he overheard a heated altercation between three passengers and pantry car employees. The passengers—Maidul Mallik, Ashiqul Haq, and Najrul Sheikh—claimed they were being served less food than the IRCTC’s specified weight, while also being overcharged.
“When Burman objected to this, the staffers told him to go and weigh the food on the weighing scale in the pantry car.”
He accompanied the passengers to the pantry to verify the claims. However, upon entering, the pantry manager allegedly accused him of instigating dissent, snatched his mobile phone, assaulted him, and forcibly detained him inside the pantry car.
Burman further alleged, “The other IRCTC staff present there threatened the passengers too, and some of them even hit them and made them return to their compartment.”
One of the assaulted passengers, after escaping the pantry car, dialed the RPF helpline, prompting immediate action. The RPF stormed the pantry section and successfully rescued Burman, escorting him back to his seat.
The next day, as the train reached Kalyan, Burman approached the local GRP and formally lodged a complaint. Senior police inspector Pandharinath Kande confirmed that the case had been handed over to Badnera GRP for detailed inquiry.
Railway activist Samir Zaveri condemned the incident, stating: "The incident shows how contractors appointed by IRCTC are looting passengers, and those raising their voice against them are being beaten up. I demand the railway take action against them, bring transparency in their services, and do surprise checks."
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