WR orders inquiry into attack on passenger couple by pantry staff

Mumbai: The General Manager of Western Railway has ordered a high-level inquiry into an alleged assault of a couple from suburban Bhayandar by around 20 pantry car staffs on board the Hazrat Nizamuddin-Bandra Garib Rath Express on Sunday night.

G C Agrawal, General Manager, Western Railway, had taken a very serious note of the incident and ordered a high-level inquiry against the catering firm Sunshine Caterers. A fine of Rs 5 lakh had also been imposed on the caterer, an official statement from the Railways said.

According to a Railway Protection Force (RPF) official, Pradip Gupta (48) and his wife were travelling by the 12910 Hazrat Nizamuddin-Bandra Garib Rath Express. At around 10.10 PM last Sunday, after the train left Kota Junction, Gupta asked for a bottle of water.

He was allegedly given a water bottle of a brand other than the one generally given. Gupta told the catering firm staff that they were supposed to sell only 'Rail Neer', the RPF official said.

Taking offence, the staff called his colleagues and they allegedly thrashed Gupta. His wife also suffered injuries when she tried intervene.

"It was really horrible being beaten up by those people who were supposed to serve us. Not a single co-passenger came to our rescue," Gupta told PTI.

After the incident the accused pulled the alarm chain and got down between Kota and Ratlam stations, he said. Gupta had filed the complaint after reaching Borivali at 7.25 AM the next day.