Ticketless woman tears her own clothes to frame TTE; passenger’s video exposes ploy

A ticketless woman travelling with a child on the Danapur–Secunderabad Express tore her own clothes during a heated argument with a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) in a bid to accuse him of misbehaviour, only for a fellow passenger’s video to reveal the truth.

The incident took place on September 17 in the AC coaches of the train between Danapur and Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU) Junction in Uttar Pradesh. Railway officials said the checking staff first found the woman without a ticket in the second AC coach; when asked to produce a ticket or move, she shifted to the third AC coach, where the dispute escalated.

In a clip recorded by a passenger sitting opposite her, the woman, later identified as Radhika Tiwari, is seen arguing with the TTE, saying she is willing to pay but refusing to buy a proper ticket. She claims her brother is also a TTE, searches for a railway helpline number and tells those around her that she will “trap” the staff.

The footage then shows her tearing her own clothes and alleging that the TTE touched her inappropriately, while the staff can be heard discussing informing railway control. The TTE later said he was unaware the exchange was being recorded, and that the video helped establish what actually happened inside the coach.

When the train reached DDU Junction around 4 pm, Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel, alerted by divisional control, were waiting on the platform. The woman was taken off the train for questioning; the passenger who had recorded the incident showed the video to railway staff.

According to officials, Tiwari, who was travelling from Danapur to Prayagraj, was eventually issued a ticket after paying the prescribed fine and then allowed to leave. DDU division PRO Vishwanath said the checking staff had repeatedly asked her to take a ticket, no misbehaviour occurred and action was taken strictly as per rules.