Six Snake Charmers Arrested Onboard Jansewa Express in Bihar for Extorting Passengers
HAJIPUR, BIHAR — Chaos and panic turned into a swift security operation on Friday after six snake charmers were caught red-handed extorting money from passengers using live reptiles onboard Train No. 14618 Jansewa Express. The incident occurred in a packed general coach under the Sonpur Division of the East Central Railway (ECR).
The suspects were apprehended and deboarded by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) at Dighwara Station after terrified commuters raised an alarm using official railway helpline services.
Terror in the General Coach
According to railway officials, the six men boarded the moving train with baskets containing live snakes. Moving through the heavily crowded general compartment, they began removing the venomous reptiles from their baskets, waving them in front of passengers to intimidate them into handing over money.
Fearing for their lives in the enclosed train compartment, several passengers quickly resorted to the RailMadad digital grievance platform to lodge a high-priority complaint.
RPF Swings into Action
Upon receiving the real-time distress alert, RPF Sub-Inspector Shamsher Kumar and Assistant Sub-Inspector Vijay Kumar tracked the movement of the train after its departure from Chhapra Station.
At approximately 10:45 AM, as the Jansewa Express pulled into Dighwara Station, an RPF team ambushed the coach and caught the six individuals red-handed with the reptiles in their possession. The suspects were immediately removed from the coach, bringing immense relief to the passengers onboard.
Conflicting Identities and Legal Consequences
During subsequent interrogation at the RPF post, the arrested men attempted to mislead investigators. Officials reported that the suspects refused to provide clear or verifiable permanent addresses, giving conflicting narratives claiming they hailed variously from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh and regions in Himachal Pradesh.
The ECR administration confirmed that the six individuals have been sent to jail under relevant provisions of the Railways Act. Meanwhile, the seized snakes were safely handed over to the state’s Environment, Forest & Climate Change Department for proper rehabilitation.
A Warning From Indian Railways
Indian Railways has reiterated that carrying wild animals, birds, or reptiles onboard commercial trains is strictly prohibited and constitutes a severe offense under both wildlife protection and railway safety legislation. Authorities have strongly urged passengers to remain vigilant and instantly report similar disturbances using the unified helpline number 139 or the RailMadad mobile portal to guarantee prompt security intervention.