Railway Police arrested a railway employee for threatening pilgrims who were returning from Ayodhya at Hosapete Railway Station late on Thursday.
Superintendent of Police (Railways) Soumya Latha S.K. said that 58-year-old ex-serviceman Sheik Sab, currently employed with the Railways, was arrested and later released on bail.
As per information provided by the Railway Police, the accused was passing by Ayodhya Dham-Mysuru Junction Astha Express to take his train bound for Hubballi when he came across Ayodhya pilgrims chanting slogans.
Irked by “disturbance to other passengers”, the employee objected to the pilgrims chanting slogans. The initial friction between the pilgrims and the employee developed into a heated exchange of arguments, Railway Police said.
The pilgrims, however, said that the accused threatened them and started protesting at the railway station. As news spread, local right-wing activists and BJP leaders rushed to the railway station to join the protesting pilgrims.
Vijayanagara Superintendent of Police Srihari Babu B.L. and other senior officers rushed to the spot and assisted the Railway Police in bringing the situation under control. The incident delayed the train by about one-and-a-half hours.
“The entire incident happened on the railway platform which comes under the jurisdiction of the Railway Police. We can only assist the Railway Police in such a situation,” Mr. Babu told The Hindu.
“The accused is an ex-serviceman currently employed in the Railways. He was trying to take a Hubballi-bound train which was on Platform No 2. Instead of using the railway over-bridge, he was crossing the track by the Ayodhya Dham-Mysuru Junction Astha Express which was on Platform No 1 and came across the pilgrims,” Ms. Latha said.
