Mumbai: In a major crackdown on fraudulent advertisements inside Mumbai’s suburban railway network, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Western Railway’s Mumbai Division intensified its campaign against fake ‘tantriks’ and ‘vashikaran babas,’ whose posters had been illegally plastered across local trains and platforms. On October 14, an accused and his two accomplice were arrested with more than 22,000 posters.
According to an official, posters, often promising supernatural fixes to personal, health, and financial issues, have not only misled commuters but also defaced railway property.
Special Enforcement Drive Led By RPF
Following a spate of complaints received via social media and the Rail Madad portal, Senior Divisional Security Commissioner Santosh Kumar Singh Rathod formed a special enforcement team. The drive gained momentum under the leadership of Sub-Inspector Santosh Soni.
"On October 14, acting on a tip-off, Soni and his team apprehended Abdul Samad, son of Irshad Khan, red-handed while he was pasting such posters inside a stationary local train at Platform No. 2 of Andheri station. Over 600 posters were recovered from his possession at the scene" further added official.
Key Accused Arrested With Thousands Of Posters
During interrogation, Samad disclosed the whereabouts of the main culprits — a self-styled so called godman and his accomplice — who were later arrested from their hideout in Mira Road. A subsequent search led to the seizure of an additional 22,000 posters. All three individuals, along with the confiscated materials, were handed over to the RPF post at Andheri for further legal proceedings.
“This is part of an ongoing operation to cleanse the railway premises of illegal and misleading advertisements,” said an RPF official. “The actions are aimed at curbing fraudulent practices and improving the aesthetics and safety of local trains.”
Continuous Drive To Keep Railway Premises Clean
In just the past month, RPF teams have nabbed 29 offenders caught red-handed while putting up such posters. A total of 49,100 posters have been seized during this period, and fines amounting to Rs 13,000 have been imposed by the court.
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This drive follows a similar operation conducted in May 2025, during which 53 offenders were booked, and 37,400 posters were confiscated. That campaign led to penalties totaling Rs 26,500.
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