The Government Railway Police (GRP) arrested a man for allegedly assaulting passengers and forcing them to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and produce their Aadhaar cards at the Balasore railway station in Odisha, officials said on Monday.
The incident occurred late Sunday night as some passengers—identified as migrant workers—were sleeping in the station’s waiting hall, police said.
A group of miscreants disturbed the travellers, demanding to see their identification and coercing them into chanting specific slogans.
A video of the confrontation, which circulated widely on social media, purportedly shows the group waking up the sleeping workers and harassing them. While the footage has gone viral, news agency PTI noted it could not independently verify the video’s authenticity.
Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel reached the spot, apprehending one of the accused before handing him over to the GRP.
The arrested youth has been identified as Sagar Jena, a resident of Gandarda village under the Sadar police station limits, a railway police official said.
He said other associates have been identified and will be arrested soon.
A case under BNS 126/196/115(2),351(2) has been registered and investigation is underway, police added.
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das, taking to his official X account, said, “The assault on migrant workers at Balasore Railway Station, forcing Aadhaar checks and slogan chanting is the direct result of BJP’s divisive politics. We strongly condemn this incident and demand strict action. Odisha will not tolerate politics driven by fear and communal hatred.”
