New Year Day, when the air-conditioned local train undertook its first full run till Virar, started with drama - a teacher on the train overshot his journey without a proper ticket, and then went further to even assault a woman ticket-checker
A ticket-checker tries to tackle the errant teacher, who assaulted a woman TC, onboard the AC local at Bhayander station on Monday
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New Year Day, when the air-conditioned local train undertook its first full run till Virar, started with drama - a teacher on the train overshot his journey without a proper ticket, and then went further to even assault a woman ticket-checker when she asked him to pay fine, clicking her photograph with his mobile phone and circulating it on his WhatsApp groups. The RPF detained the teacher and filed a complaint against him at the Mumbai Central police station.
Obnoxious commuter
Ticket-checker Sarojini Sanjay Deshpande said she approached the errant commuter, identified as Bhaskar Lalchandra Jaiswar, 33, a Khar resident, after the train halted at Bhayander station around 10.40 am. He flashed a ticket that was from Virar to Vasai. When she told him that he had exceeded his journey by coming till Bhayander and would have to pay fine, he allegedly hit her on her hand and snatched the ticket.
He then asked what her authority was, and when she showed her ID card, he tried to snatch that away too. By the time, she called the RPF officer onboard, Jaiswar had taken her photos and put them up on WhatsApp groups, Deshpande alleged. The Mumbai Central police have filed a case against him. WR chief spokesperson Ravinder Bhakar said the railways had appealed to commuters to co-operate with authorities.
Good response
Meanwhile, the first full run recorded a good response with about 61 passengers buying a monthly season pass till 5 pm yesterday, in addition to 95 buying it last week. Some commuters also bought weekly passes yesterday. While three commuters were caught without a ticket, seven were caught with other class tickets and were fined.
Delays galore
Services on Central and Western Railways were affected on the first day of the new year, delaying trains. While the track-crossover work and shifting of a signal at Andheri delayed trains on WR, on CR, there was a rail fracture near Chembur.
Rs 1.37 lakh
Approximate revenue earned on Monday
253
Number of single tickets bought till 5 pm yesterday
61
Number of monthly passes purchased till 5 pm yesterday
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