Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A passenger was allegedly beaten up inside the executive coach of the Delhi to Bhopal Vande Bharat Express at Jhansi railway station after he refused to change his seat.
The attackers are said to be supporters of BJP MLA Rajeev Singh from Babina near Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. They thrashed him after he denied MLA's demand to shift his seat.
According to passengers on the train, MLA Rajeev Singh boarded coach E-2 from Delhi along with his wife Kamli Singh and son Shreyansh Singh.
His seat number was 8, while his wife and son had seat numbers 50 and 51. Seat number 49, a window seat, was occupied by a passenger named Raj Prakash.
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The MLA reportedly asked Raj Prakash to shift to seat 8 so that he could sit near his family, but Raj Prakash refused to change his seat.
When the train reached Jhansi station, 7-8 men entered the coach and beat up Raj Prakash. He was hit with fists and kicks, and suffered a nose fracture. Blood was seen coming from his nose and face.
Ramnivas Rawat Post On X
Former Madhya Pradesh minister Ramniwas Rawat, who was also in the same coach, posted about the incident on social media platform X.
He wrote that 7-8 outsiders entered the coach and attacked a passenger in front of everyone. He also claimed that some police officials supported the attackers during the incident.
MLA Rajeev Singh Shares His Side
MLA Rajeev Singh released a video saying that the passengers in seats 49 and 52 were sitting in a wrong manner with their legs stretched out and eating food, which was causing discomfort to his wife and others.
He claimed he politely asked them to sit properly, but they argued with him and used bad language.
He added that he walked to the gallery to avoid further tension. But the passengers thought he was calling someone to complain, so they followed him and argued more. He said this caused stress to him and his family. Later, he filed a Non-Cognizable Report (NCR) against the two passengers at the Jhansi GRP station.
Passengers Say...
According to the passengers, 15-20 people entered the coach at Jhansi and brutally beat up Raj Prakash. He was covered in blood and his nose was badly injured. Passengers questioned how such violence could happen in a premium train like Vande Bharat, promoted by the Prime Minister himself. Children and women in the coach were scared and shocked.
There were 3-4 police personnel present during the attack, but they did nothing to stop it. Later, railway police arrived, but by then the attackers had already left.
Passengers have demanded strict action against those involved, regardless of their political status.
