The Government Railway Police (GRP) on Monday arrested a man for assaulting passengers and forcing them to chant “Jai Shri Ram” and show their Aadhaar cards at Balasore railway station in Odisha, officials said.
The incident occurred on Sunday night when several passengers, who claimed to be migrant workers, were sleeping in the station’s waiting hall. According to police, a group of men woke them up, demanded identity proof, and forced them to chant slogans.
A video of the incident, purportedly showing the accused harassing passengers, circulated widely on social media. PTI, however, said it could not independently verify the authenticity of the footage.
Railway Protection Force personnel reached the spot and detained one of the accused, later handing him over to the GRP. The man has been identified as Sagar Jena of Gandarda village under the Sadar police station limits.
A railway police official said that other individuals involved in the incident have been identified and will be arrested soon. A case has been registered under sections 126, 196, 115(2), and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and an investigation is underway.
Reacting to the incident, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhakta Charan Das condemned the attack and blamed it on what he described as divisive politics. In a post on X, he said the assault on migrant workers and the forced Aadhaar checks and slogan chanting were unacceptable.
“We strongly condemn this incident and demand strict action. Odisha will not tolerate politics driven by fear and communal hatred,” Das said.
Police said further investigation is ongoing to determine the full sequence of events and identify all those involved.