A disturbing incident unfolded aboard the Delhi-Bhopal Vande Bharat Express last Thursday, when a male passenger was allegedly assaulted after he refused to switch seats with a BJP MLA’s family. The episode, which has since gone viral on social media, involved Rajeev Singh, a Bharatiya Janata Party legislator from Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, who was travelling to his constituency accompanied by his wife and son.
Rajeev Singh was reportedly given a seat in the back of the train compartment, while his wife and son were seated in the front, next to a traveler heading to Bhopal. The passenger allegedly refused Singh's request for the man to switch seats so the family could sit together. After the train arrived at Jhansi railway station, the situation allegedly descended into violence. The passenger who had refused the seat change was allegedly thrashed by a group of men who boarded the train and are thought to be connected to the BJP MLA.
Online indignation has been sparked by a video of the incident that went viral. It depicts the victim sitting there while being repeatedly punched by about six men. In a startling turn of events, the attackers were also observed beating the man with slippers. As other passengers watched in horror, the video also shows the victim with blood dripping from his nose and his clothes soaked in blood.
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Railway Superintendent of Police (Jhansi), Vipul Kumar Srivastava, verified the incident and stated that a seat dispute was the cause of the altercation. Speaking to the media, Srivastava said that CCTV footage from the train and platform would be examined, and that the results would determine whether to take appropriate legal action.
Following a formal complaint from Rajeev Singh, the Government Railway Police (GRP) in Jhansi announced that they had filed a non-cognizable report (NCR). Singh claimed in his complaint that a fellow traveler had acted inappropriately towards his family while they were travelling, according to news agencies. He added that after being confronted, the man misbehaved once more and called other people to the Jhansi station, where they allegedly used derogatory language.
Despite the fact that authorities have not yet confirmed the identities of the attackers in the video, the incident has prompted calls for an immediate investigation and accountability, particularly given that a political figure was involved and that it took place on a famous train like the Vande Bharat. This case raises issues related to VIP culture, passenger safety on Indian Railways, and the abuse of political influence, particularly on semi-high-speed trains like the Vande Bharat Express.
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