The departure of the Ernakulum-Hazrat Nizamuddin Mangala Express was delayed by about 15 minutes in Udupi and about 45 minutes in Bhatkal owing to an altercation between some passengers and a travelling ticket examiner (TTE) on Tuesday night.
There were different versions about the story. According to an officer at Konkan Railway, a Muslim family of a husband, his wife, the wife’s sister and two girls, aged about five and two years, was travelling from Mangaluru to Bhatkal in a sleeper coach with general class tickets.
The TTE, Thimmappa Gowda, asked them to either get down at the next station (Udupi) or pay the difference amount.
This sparked off an argument between the TTE and the other passengers in the coach, who asked the former why the family cannot travel in sleeper coach when it had many empty seats. The passengers alleged that the TTE was drunk and demanded that he be tested for alcohol, the officer said.
Another version of the story is that the TTE told the family to get down from the sleeper coach as they were travelling with general tickets. But the family refused as there were women and children amongst them, and this led to the altercation.
The delay was longer in Bhatkal as many people rushed to the railway station after learning about the incident.
Locals gather
Suresh Nayak, circle police inspector, Bhatkal, said that 200 to 300 persons had gathered at Bhatkal railway station after learning about the incident. They demanded the registration of a police complaint and arrest of the TTE, and stopped the movement of the train, he said. But personnel of the Bhatkal police and the Railway Protection Force managed to bring the situation under control and the train finally left the station around midnight.
According to Sudha Krishnamurthy, Public Relations Officer, Konkan Railway, Mangaluru, Mr. Gowda was tested for consumption of alcohol by the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Gilwade, Goa, and he had tested negative. Konkan Railway has ordered an enquiry into the incident.
Meanwhile, a complaint of misbehaviour by the TTE has been lodged at the Railway Protection Force station in Udupi. The TTE too has lodged a complaint of obstruction of duty.
Bhatkal police and RPF brought situation under control and
the train left Bhatkal around midnight
