Darjeeling Mail halts for 2 hrs at Malda stn as scuffle breaks out between GRP personnel and passengers

Kolkata: Sealdah-bound Darjeeling Mail halted at Malda station for nearly two hours, following a scuffle that broke out between Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel and the passengers inside an AC coach late on Saturday night.

As many as eight GRP personnel including Inspector of Police of Malda Town station were injured in the incident. Six passengers were eventually arrested for their alleged involvement in manhandling the security forces. Railways have initiated a probe in this regard.

The GRP officials alleged that some passengers were smoking near the toilet inside the B4 AC coach. The policemen asked them to pay a fine for smoking inside the train compartment. The accused passengers then wanted the see the identity cards of the policemen.

As they produced their identity cards, the accused snatched them, which resulted in a scuffle between the two groups. Some other passengers soon came in support of the accused and attacked the security personnel.

The incident occurred when the Down Darjeeling Mail was about to arrive at Malda station. Some of the GRP officials from Malda tried to convince the passengers and also received a complaint from the passengers against the GRP personnel who were involved in the scuffle. But the irate passengers demanded that all the GRP personnel must be handed over to them.

The Inspector of Police from Malda Town police station Bhaskar Pradhan was attacked by the passengers, when he tried to pacify the mob at the station.

A large contingent of

police soon reached the spot and arrested the accused youths. As a result of the incident, the train halted at the Malda Town station for almost two hours.

A senior GRP officer in Malda alleged that the accused youths were smoking and had attacked the policemen when they were asked for a fine. The officer also alleged that the accused tried to snatch a

service revolver from a policeman.

Those who were arrested brought some counter allegations against the on-duty GRP personnel. They claimed that they were ready to pay the fine for smoking inside the running train but the policemen demanded Rs 1,500 from

them.

The policemen captured the photographs of their voter cards and threatened them of dire consequences. As they protested, the police officials resorted to lathi charge, in which some of them received injuries. A detailed probe has been initiated in this regard.