Wedding Party Clash at Fatuha Railway Station Halts Train for Over an Hour
Chaos erupted at Fatuha Railway Station in Patna on Sunday when members of a wedding procession travelling on the South Bihar Express clashed with local miscreants. The altercation halted the train for over an hour before police intervened to restore order.
Incident Details and Timeline
According to railway police, the incident occurred around 11:08 am when the train halted at platform number 5. A wedding party travelling from Durg in Chhattisgarh to Ara in Bihar was seated in coaches H-1 and S-6. Some anti-social elements attempted to forcibly enter the H-1 coach, prompting members of the procession from S-6 to rush in support.
During the commotion, several suspicious youths were seen fleeing. As the wedding party chased them, the suspects began shouting "thief, thief", triggering a counter-attack. The group assaulted members of the wedding party, and one of the attackers hurled a stone, injuring the complainant.
Police Response and Aftermath
On being alerted, Railway station house officer Manoj Kumar reached the spot with a police team. Seeing the police, the accused fled the scene. The SHO stated that the altercation kept the South Bihar Express stranded for approximately 1 hour and 8 minutes. First aid was provided to the injured, and security measures were reinforced.
The train eventually departed for Ara at 12:16 pm. Railway authorities confirmed that an FIR is being lodged, and efforts are underway to identify and arrest the accused. "Raids are being conducted in nearby areas and CCTV footage is being examined to identify the culprits. Additional police deployment has been ordered at Fatuha station to prevent recurrence," the SHO added.
Victim's Account and Concerns
One of the injured, Nirajan Priyaranjan of Nalanda district, highlighted that the H-1 coach is considered a VIP coach with high fares and CCTV surveillance. "Despite this, such an incident happened. During the fight, the GRP also assaulted me, assuming I was an accused, even though I kept pleading with them," he said, raising concerns about security protocols.
The incident underscores ongoing challenges in railway safety and crowd management, prompting calls for stricter enforcement and vigilance at major stations.
