A protest at Maharashtra’s Hingoli railway station delayed the Bhagat Ki Kothi-Kacheguda Express for more than two hours on Thursday after passengers alleged that a teenager was assaulted and women travelling with him were misbehaved with by railway personnel and other passengers.
The train, operating as the Jodhpur-Hyderabad service under Train No. 17606, was halted after it reached Hingoli during the early hours. The alleged incident took place after the train crossed Washim, about 40 km from Hingoli, according to officials cited in the report.
The passengers involved had travelled to Nagpur for a Dussehra event and were returning to Nanded after boarding the train at Akola. They were described as followers of Dr B R Ambedkar. According to the allegations, one of their companions, a teenager, mistakenly entered a reserved coach.
The protesters alleged that the teenager was assaulted by some passengers and Railway Protection Force personnel. They further alleged that women in the group were pushed and misbehaved with when they attempted to intervene, and that other members of the group were also assaulted. The allegations have not been established independently and are to be examined through an investigation.
When the train reached Hingoli, the agitated passengers got off and sat on the tracks in front of the locomotive. They raised slogans against railway personnel and prevented the train from leaving the station, resulting in a delay of more than two hours.
Hingoli town police reached the station after the protest began and intervened to defuse the situation. The protesters withdrew after police assured them that their complaint would be investigated, an official said. The train subsequently resumed its journey.
The incident places the focus on the handling of disputes inside reserved railway coaches, the conduct expected from railway security personnel and the mechanisms available to passengers seeking immediate redress. The supplied report does not provide details of any arrests, medical examination, formal criminal case or action by the railway authorities.
The train resumed operations after the police assurance, while the complaint and allegations against the concerned individuals remain subject to investigation.
