Kumbh Mela devotees vandalise train again!! This time in UP!!
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Amethi: In yet another incident of Kumbh Mela devotees vandalising a train, two coaches of the special train running for the pilgrimage were damaged by passengers at the Guru Gorakhnath Dham railway station here after they were unable to board due to locked doors
The incident occurred around 1:15 am on Sunday when Kumbh Special Train number 04255, travelling from Lucknow to Prayagraj, arrived at the station, PTI reported, citing an official account.
According to the Government Railway Police (GRP), nearly 300 devotees were waiting to board the train.
However, passengers inside allegedly kept the doors locked, preventing new passengers from entering.
Angry over this, the devotees turned aggressive and broke nearly a dozen windows of two train coaches, officials said.
GRP Circle Officer Amit Singh confirmed that some people sustained minor injuries, and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) has registered a case.
Superintendent of Police (GRP) Lucknow, Prashant Verma, said that legal action is being taken, and those responsible for the vandalism will be identified and prosecuted. It was only days ago devotees vandalised AC coaches at the Madhubani railway station in Patna. Video also showed frustrated passengers pelting stones and breaking train windows, The Indian Express reported. The window-shattering instance sparked a heated argument between those inside the train and outside, the video shows. Another video showed many passengers trying to open the locked doors of an AC coach. According to what eyewitnesses told India Today, the AC coaches were tightly packed as devotees overcrowded it and prevented doors from opening. It is not clear whether those who occupied the AC compartments have valid tickets or not.
The Maha Kumbh Mela started in Prayagraj on January 13, had witnessed many untoward and unfortunate incidents so far, which were widely perceived as due to blatant mismanagement by the authorities. There were multiple incidents of massive fires and related damages, a 300 km long traffic jam and multiple incidents of trains getting vandalised.