A teenager was arrested on the Brindavan Express after a Railway Protection Force team allegedly found him selling tobacco products and carrying 48 gas-filled lighters on the train travelling from Chennai to Bengaluru, according to a Times of India report published on Wednesday.
The passenger train, numbered 12640, was travelling towards Bengaluru when the RPF team detained Abdul Hannan Ansari, 18, who is from Bihar’s Madhubani district. The report said Ansari was operating as an unauthorised vendor in a non-air-conditioned compartment.
According to the report, the backpack carried by the teenager contained 48 gas-filled lighters, 37 packs of Gold Flake cigarettes across six varieties, 22 packs of other cigarette brands, and 146 packets of pan masala. The items listed included Wave, Flake Premium, Wills and Players cigarette packs.
The RPF registered a case under Sections 147, 144(1) and 164 of the Railways Act, 1989. The provisions cited in the report relate to unauthorised hawking and the carrying of hazardous materials on trains.
Onboard vending is common on Indian trains, where vendors often sell food, beverages and other goods to passengers. However, the reported seizure included gas-filled lighters, which the RPF treated as inflammable articles. The report did not provide details of whether any lighter was used or whether passengers were injured during the incident.
The case highlights the enforcement challenge faced by railway authorities in monitoring unauthorised vending and articles carried through passenger compartments. The RPF’s action followed the team’s inspection of the Brindavan Express, according to the report. Further legal proceedings will determine the outcome of the case registered against the teenager.
