Patna: A Nepali national has been arrested in Bihar after allegedly posing as a Travelling Ticket Examiner and extorting money from passengers aboard the Sabarmati Express 19166, railway officials said.
The man was detained during a routine ticket inspection on the train, which was travelling from Darbhanga in northern Bihar to Ahmedabad in Gujarat. Officials said he had been moving through coaches dressed in a uniform resembling that of a ticket examiner and demanding money from passengers, particularly those travelling without valid tickets or in general compartments.
He was identified as Shravan Kumar Kapad, a resident of Dhanusha district in Nepal. According to railway authorities, suspicions were raised by the head ticket examiner, Somnath Rai, who questioned the man’s conduct and asked him to produce official identification.
When he failed to provide a valid identity card or authorisation documents, he was detained on the spot. On arrival in Samastipur, he was handed over to the Government Railway Police, where a case was registered against him under sections relating to fraud and extortion.
Officials said preliminary inquiries suggest the accused may have been engaged in similar activities for some time. Investigators are attempting to determine how many passengers may have been defrauded and whether others were involved.
Rai has been commended by senior railway officials for his vigilance in uncovering the alleged scam. The divisional railway manager has announced a reward in recognition of his actions.
Railway authorities have urged passengers not to hand over money to anyone claiming to be a ticket examiner without first verifying their identity, and to report any suspicious activity to onboard staff or the police.
