RPF personnel clash with commercial staff, probe ordered

Varanasi, July 21 (UNI) Ugly scenes were witnessed at the Mughalsarai railway station in neighbouring Chandauli district today following an altercation between Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel and commercial staff of East Central Railway (ECR).

The incident took place when Divisional Commerical Inspector Hriday Nand Ram caught four ticketless travellers at the station.

An RPF constable, however, intervened by asking Mr Ram to leave the four passengers, who were close to some RPF personnel, official sources said.

On denial to leave the four passengers, the RPF constable misbehaved with Mr Ram and forcefully took away the four passengers.

The drama did not end there only as six RPF personnel including a sub-inspector later beat up Mr Ram in the station premises.

Hearing about the incident, commercial staff of the important station halted work and indulged in noisy brawl with RPF personnel, sources added.

The matter, however, was prevented from snowballing further following timely intervention by senior ECR officials ''A joint committee headed by Assistant Security Commissioner and Assistant Commercial Manager has been constituted to probe the matter.

Based on the committee's finding action will be initiated against those responsible,'' Senior Security Divisonal Commissioner R Pacharewal said.

Interestingly, the ugly scenes were witnessed at the Mughalsarai railway station hours before Railways Minister Lalu Prasad arrived at Varanasi on route to Ballia to attend the 'trayodasah' ceremony of former Prime Minister Chandra shekhar, who died in New Delhi recently.

The Railways Minister, who arrived in Varanasi by a special plane and immediately left for Ibrahimpatti (Ballia) by a special train, returned in the evening and shortly flew back to New Delhi.

The RJD supremo, however, stopped short of uttering anything to mediapersons eagerly awaiting soundbytes.

UNI