Bhatkal: A huge crowd gathered the Bhatkal railway station on Tuesday at around 11pm when the news of TTE of Mangala Express Train misbehaving and pushing a female passenger spread across the town. The people protested by pulling the chain of the train and halting the train for more than forty minutes at the Bhatkal Station. The people demanded that TTE who misbehaved with a female passenger of Bhatkal be brought infront of them. They demanded to immediately arrest the TTE and take strict legal action against him; otherwise they would not let the train move forward. The people were involved in verbal fight with the railway authorities and local police for nearly half an hour and finally let the train leave the Bhatkal station after they were assured that legal action would be taken against the alleged TTE and a case was registered with the railway police.
It is said that a resident of Bhatkal Alwa Street, Mr Mujeeb Ekkeri was travelling from Mangaluru to Bhatkal along with his family which included three women and two kids and had brought a general ticket. He had reportedly gotten into the sleeper compartment with the intention to pay additional charges later to the TTE. Complaining to police he said that a TTE approached them to check the tickets near Udupi railway station and when he found the general ticket with the passengers he asked for the additional charge of Rs 530. Even before he could pay the prescribed amount, another TTE came to the compartment and started misbehaving with all of them. Mujeeb said that the TTE alleged pushed his sleeping sister and asked her vacate the coach. The matter took a serious turn when the TTE alleged touch the sleeping female passenger to awaken her. Mujeeb has demanded the railway police to take stern action against the alleged TTE for misbehaving with female passenger and a case be registered against him.
Sources said that the incident evoked other passengers present in the same compartment who strongly objected to the action and started protesting against TTE. As soon as the train reached Udupi station, the people approached the railway police and strongly condemned the incident. The protesting crowd stopped the train at the Udupi station for nearly thirty minutes.
As the news spread in Bhatkal through whatsapp, hundreds of people reached the Bhatkal station to protest against the same. The train which was supposed to stop at the station for 3 minutes was made to stop for nearly 45 minutes. The protesting people tried to search for the alleged TTE, but it is said the TTE was already hidden somewhere and could not get into the clutches of angry mob.
With the news of hundreds of people rushing to the railway sation, the Bhatkal CPI Suresh Nayak reached the spot with additional police force. Sensing the sensitivity of the incident, the railway police inspector of Udupi Shivram G Rathod also reached Bhatkal immediately. The authorities of Bhatkal Tanzeem also reached the station to control the situation. Finally the case was registered on the alleged TTE after the written complaint of Mujeeb Ekkeri. The police assured that they would take up the matter seriously and take the strict legal action against the alleged. The angry crowd was finally cooled down by Tanzeem and Federation people after a lot of effort and the people were sent home.
Speaking to SahilOnline, the RPF inspector Shivaram G Rathod has said that the alleged TTE was identified as Timmappa Gowda with the employee number 2946. He confirmed that the case was registered against him and a legal procedure was being followed.