'Train nuisance' video: Railway suspends TTEs pending enquiry

New Delhi, Nov 24 (PTI) The North Western Railway suspended two train ticket examiners on Thursday who were seen in a video shot by a woman passenger to highlight the unruly behaviour of three drunken youths and the absence of Railway Protection Force personnel in her train.

Two days after the video was posted on X on November 20 by Gayatri Bishnoi, who is also the Rajasthan AAP’s women wing president, the NWR took disciplinary action against the TTEs and suspended them.

No specific reason for suspension has been cited in the two orders.

However, North Western Railway (NWR) CPRO Captain Shashi Kiran said enquiry is underway, and the purpose is to find the facts and initiate action accordingly.

'We want to look into the incident in a very transparent and unbiased manner for which internal enquiry has already been initiated to see if there was any laxity on part of anyone in this case,' Kiran told PTI.

Bishnoi has condemned the suspension of the TTEs and alleged that they were made scapegoats to cover up the inaction on the part of the RPF.

The RPF has alleged that Bishnoi posted the video after it took action against the unruly passengers.

The whole controversy started after Bishnoi, while travelling from Jaipur to Sri Ganganagar in a 2AC coach, posted a video on 'X' at 2:14 am on November 20.

She alleged in the video that three people were consuming alcohol, abusing each other and passengers around them, thus creating nuisance.

The AAP leader also alleged that there were no RPF jawans in the train and when she lodged a police complaint with the help of the TTEs. The RPF personnel came only about an hour later, Bishnoi claimed.

The RPF countered the claim saying that it received the complaint at 12:17 am and took action at 1:02 am.

In the video, Bishnoi showed the two TTEs sitting on the berth and said that they helped her lodge the complaint.

The RPF, in a statement, admitted that there was no jawan in the train as 5,000 personnel had been diverted from their regular job to election duties. However, it claimed that they 'demonstrated exceptional responsiveness, swiftly addressing and resolving a passenger's distressing ordeal on Train No. 22997 (Jhalawar City to Shri Ganganagar Express) on 20-11-2023.” The NWR’s suspension order has been criticised by other TTEs who feel that their two colleagues have been made scapegoats and punished for no reason.

'The whole issue was extremely awkward for both the TTEs. Had they not been seen in the video, the Railways would have taken action asking where they were when the incident took place. Now, when they are in the video, they have been suspended and no reason has been given. It is very sad,' a TTE, requesting anonymity, said.

He added, “Often, frontline workers have to pay the price for dereliction of duty on the part of other senior officers.” Bishnoi, too, condemned the suspension order and said, “Instead of awarding the two TTEs for their prompt action and timely intervention to help me and other female passengers, the Railways have suspended them. It is highly unfair.' PTI JP JP ANB ANB