BJP leader Devendra Inani was travelling to Haridwar on 20 July to immerse his mother’s ashes when a thief snatched the sacred kalash from him on board a train. However, the culprit was caught red-handed after Inani woke up, and fellow passengers handed him over to the Government Railway Police (GRP). The incident occurred on the Yog Nagari Rishikesh Express.
Inani, along with his family, was seated in the S-2 coach when the theft took place between Morena and Agra Cantt. The thief was apprehended and handed over to the GRP, after which Inani continued his journey to Haridwar. The BJP leader from Indore was carrying not only his mother’s ashes but also those of three other family members for immersion in the holy Ganges.
Recounting the ordeal, Inani said, "Had the thief succeeded in stealing the ashes, what answer would I have given to my mother?" He described how the thief entered their coach after allegedly stealing from other passengers in S-4 and S-1 coaches. The man then attempted to take the bag containing the ashes before Inani woke up and raised an alarm. Fellow passengers intervened, beating the thief before detaining him. A search revealed empty purses in the washroom and a mobile phone thrown out of the train.
The accused, reportedly a resident of Gwalior, was handed over to Agra GRP. However, complications arose when police asked who would file a formal complaint, as most passengers needed to continue their journeys. One passenger, whose phone had been thrown from the train, stayed behind to lodge a report. Meanwhile, Inani and his family proceeded to Haridwar, where they arrived on Monday and planned to perform the immersion on Tuesday.
Inani’s mother, Ramkanya Inani, passed away on 8 April 2025 at the age of 85. Some of her ashes had already been immersed in the Narmada River, with the remainder destined for Haridwar. The journey was delayed due to the death of a cousin shortly after his mother’s 10th-day rituals, postponing other ceremonies.
