A video purportedly showing a passenger being assaulted by pantry staff aboard the Veraval-Jabalpur Somnath Express (Train No. 11463) has triggered widespread outrage on social media and renewed scrutiny of Indian Railways’ handling of passenger safety and grievance redressal.

The alleged incident occurred on July 15 while the train was passing through the Baroda division in Gujarat.

The video, now viral, appears to show two to three pantry workers manhandling a passenger in a sleeper coach allegedly after he lodged a complaint on social media about being overcharged for food and water.

The victim had tagged @RailwaySeva, the Railways’ official support handle, prompting concerns that his personal details may have been shared with the very staff he complained against.

While the authenticity of the video could not be independently verified, the post by the passenger on X and the footage has ignited demands for swift and transparent action.

The complainant alleged that he was targeted for exposing inflated prices, claiming this reflects a broader failure to protect whistle-blowers on trains.

Responding to X, @RailwaySeva requested the complainant’s PNR and contact information and assured that the matter had been escalated to the divisional railway managers (DRMs) of Jabalpur and Rajkot.

DRM Jabalpur confirmed the incident and issued an apology.

The case has been forwarded to the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), which oversees onboard catering, with officials reportedly considering terminating the vendor's contract.

This episode has drawn comparisons with a similar case reported months earlier. In that instance, a travel vlogger, Vishal Sharma, alleged that he was physically assaulted by pantry staff on the Hemkunt Express after reporting overcharging via the RailMadad app.

His video showed a group of men dragging him from his berth and allegedly assaulting him. Sharma claimed he was charged Rs 20 for a Rs 15 water bottle and also overbilled for coffee and noodles.

Following that incident, the Railways imposed a Rs 5-lakh fine on the caterer and IRCTC blacklisted the vendor, Pawan Kumar, for five years.

The termination notice described the conduct of the staff as “criminal” and stated it had “tarnished the image of Indian Railways.” An FIR was also filed by the Government Railway Police (GRP) in Kathua.

One social media user wrote, “How can passengers feel safe when a pantry worker can enter a compartment at night and assault someone in 3rd AC? This could have ended much worse.”

Another described the episode as “an attempt to murder,” calling for “immediate arrest and harsh punishment.”

Several users and activists have urged Indian Railways and IRCTC to reconsider how complaints are handled — specifically, the practice of sharing passenger information directly with catering contractors.

Many are calling for an independent, third-party redressal mechanism that protects the anonymity of complainants while investigating grievances thoroughly.

The broader issue of inadequate deployment of Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel, especially in night trains, and the perceived impunity enjoyed by contractors, has also come under the scanner.