Berhampur, April 6: Home guards, who have been allotted election duty, forcibly entered the Bhubaneswar-Bhawanipatna Hirakhand Express train and occupied berths reserved for general passengers.

The train was delayed for two hours and it left only after the local sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) intervened.

Eyewitnesses said that there were heated exchanges between the passengers and the home guards. Even the Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel could not manage to dissuade the home guards to move to general compartments. Several passengers have lodged formal complaints with the railway authorities.

“There were 270 home guards who were on their way to Koraput from Bhubaneswar on election duty. They were carrying tickets for general compartments. But most of them entered the reserved compartments and tried to occupy the berths causing inconvenience to the passengers,” said Pradip Kumar Patnaik, Berhampur (SDPO), who reached the railway station and convinced the home guards to vacate the reserve compartments.

“I was sick and was trying to sleep. But three home guards occupied my berth. When I asked them to vacate, they told me to adjust and paid no heed to my requests,” said Ramahari Sahu a businessman from Koraput.

“I complained to the TTE, but in vain. There were protests from all sides and then the RPF personnel came. The railways must ensure that passengers travelled in comfort. The home guards were unruly,” he said.

“I requested the SDPO, Berhampur, to intervene after the home guards refused to vacate the reserved compartment and started an altercation with the RPF and the government railway police,” said D.P. Brahma, station manager, Berhampur railway station.

“After I convinced them, the agitated home guards vacated the reserve compartments and the Bhubaneswar-Koraput-Bhawanipatna Hirakhand Express left Berhampur station left after two hours,” Patnaik said.