New Delhi: The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has penalised the service provider of the Nizamuddin-Gwalior Vande Bharat Express and de-rostered four of its staff after a brawl at the Nizamuddin station on Friday.
A video of the incident that went viral on social media showed pantry car staff beating up each other with plastic dustbins and belts in what seems to be a free for all. Passengers are seen making their way towards the train amidst the ruckus.
The shocking incident caused severe embarrassment to the Indian Railways and IRCTC, officials said and the matter was taken up at the Board level.
In a statement, IRCTC confirmed that the service provider staff involved in the altercation had been detained by the Railway Protection Force (RPF). It also said that “punitive action” has been initiated against the concerned service provider to prevent such incidents in the future.
“The matter has been viewed very seriously. Four staff of service provider have been detained by RPF authorities for further investigation. All four staff’s ID cards have been deactivated and they have been derostered. A show cause notice for termination of contract has been issued to service provider and a hefty penalty of Rs 5 lakh has been imposed,” IRCTC posted on X.
The Delhi Police said that the clash began after a verbal spat between pantry assistants over something as trivial as placing a package of water bottles inside the train.
No formal complaint was lodged by either side and the matter was mutually resolved in writing, the Delhi Police said. The police took suo motu cognizance though and registered a case. An investigation has started.
“This was a disturbing incident that should not have taken place. Vande Bharat Expresses are premium trains and we expect better behaviour from staff. What if a passenger had got injured in the fracas,” a senior railway official said.
