Two men shot at in running train in Bihar after squabble over spitting goes out of control

The three accused men were smoking and spitting out through the train’s window, thus letting some spittle fall on other passengers.
Image of gun used for representational purpose only.
Image of gun used for representational purpose only.

PATNA: A minor quarrel between two groups of train passengers over spitting through the train window turned violent and two of the passengers were shot at in Bihar’s Gopalganj district on Monday.

The incident took place in an unreserved compartment of the Kaptanganj-Siwan DMU train when it was reaching Hathua railway station. The two men who received gunshot injuries – Rajan Soni and Bipin Kumar – were rushed to the Hathua block hospital and a private hospital at Mirganj. Police said their condition is stable.

Three accused men – Nandan Kumar, Rajan Shah and Sonu Chauhan, all residents of Siwan district – were arrested and a country-made gun used in the violence along with a live bullet was seized from them.

“The firing took place just when the two victims were readying to get down the train at Hathua station. As the train resumed running just after the firing, the three accused tried to escape. But they were given a chase and arrested,” said DSP Imteyaz Ahmed.

Constables of Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF) and some passengers gave the three accused a chase inside the running train and caught hold of them when the train’s driver, when informed of the incident, stopped the train at Narainia Dhala.

“The three accused men were smoking and spitting out through the train’s window, thus letting some spittle fall on other passengers. A quarrel had ensued when the victims and other passengers protested such act,” said the DSP.

The Government Railway Police (GRP) station at Mirganj registered a case against the accused and interrogated them. Several passengers present in the local train gave witness against them.

“The trio will be presented in court tomorrow. A charge-sheet would be submitted in court in about a week,” said SS Saquib, the RPSF inspector of Thave.

The incident illustrated the perils of travelling in trains in Bihar, where country-made guns are easily purchasable and used by small-time criminals to carry out acts of violence.

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