Agitated examinees pelted stones and vandalised Patliputra Railway Station in Patna due to a shortage of trains. The incident, which occurred late Saturday, disrupted services and damaged property before police used mild force to restore order.
A stone-pelting and vandalism incident broke out at the Patliputra Railway Station in Bihar's Patna, following which a heavy police force was deployed to bring the situation under control.
The incident reportedly occurred on Saturday at midnight amid a large gathering of examinees and accompanying crowds, leading to disruption in train movement and damage to property. The incident came after students got extremely agitated because they couldn't get a train as there were too few trains for examinees.
Officials confirm use of 'mild force'
According to officials, security personnel had to resort to mild force after repeated attempts were made to create disturbances and obstruct railway operations. The official added that certain "anti-social elements" repeatedly pulled the emergency chain and raised various demands, such as a request for special trains after the train carrying students for the Bihar Police Prohibition Constable examination reportedly arrived late.
Speaking to ANI, Patna District Magistrate (DM) Thiyagarajan said, "Around midnight, we received information that some people were creating a disturbance. We repeatedly requested them not to cause a ruckus and to cooperate with the examinees who wished to take the exam. However, certain anti-social elements repeatedly pulled the emergency chain and raised various demands, such as a request for special trains, even though two special trains were already available... They also obstructed students who wanted to go. Due to these issues, we had to use mild force. The situation is completely normal now, and the trains have departed; the trains meant for those taking the exam have already left. Train operations are proceeding normally as well."
Shopkeeper describes 'chaotic' scene
Speaking to ANI, an eyewitness, Sanjay Kumar Sharma, who runs a shop in the vicinity, described the situation as chaotic and said his shop was vandalised during the incident. "Initially, people had blocked the trains and were not letting them move. The administration arrived to clear the blockade, but the crowd wouldn't budge. Amidst this, there was a massive uproar and a violent outburst. you can see the aftermath right here in front of my shop. The entire shop has been smashed. Large stones have been hurled inside. I barely managed to escape alive. Otherwise, no one knows what might have happened to me. The students were extremely agitated... They were in the thousands... They had actually come to take an exam... But they couldn't get train because there were too few train and too many students..."
Police said the situation has since been brought under control, and train operations have returned to normal. Further investigation is still ongoing. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)