Six booked for carrying Holi tree bamboo in Mumbai local train

Railway authorities have taken action against six commuters for carrying a large bamboo polemdashbelieved to be part of a Holi treemdashinside a suburban local train travelling from Virar towards Mahim briefly disrupting services at Borivali stationBamboo Carried Inside Coach Causes DisruptionAccording to railway officials the incident occurred aboard local train number CCG91018 Acting on information received from station staff onduty Assistant SubInspector ASI Israr along with Station Master Ranjit Kumar reached Platform No 5 at Borivali station to inspect the situationUpon checking coach number 5294C authorities found that a group of passengers had brought bamboo inside the compartment obstructing movement and creating operational difficulties The train guard identified as Purushottam informed officials that the obstruction forced the train to halt temporarily affecting scheduled servicesView this post on InstagramA post shared by Atul Tambe atul_tambe_vlogsSix Individuals Booked Under Railways ActRailway staff questioned the individuals involved and asked them to deboard the train The group was subsequently escorted to the railway police post for further inquiry Officials confirmed that all six individuals admitted to their actions during questioningSeparate cases were registered against the accused under Sections 145B and 145C of the Railways Act The individuals have been identified as Akash Dhone 33 Sagar Tulsidas Bane 22 Ashok Karnam Gunjalappa 27 Anil Kumar Mahadev Singh 22 Brahma Dena Hussain Appa 38 and Shekhar Kohli Ashtafa Koli 37 The cases have been recorded under numbers BVI CR109926 to BVI CR110426Train Services Delayed by Over 20 MinutesThe incident led to a temporary disruption in train operations at Borivali station According to the Station Masterrsquos report services were delayed from 1224 am to 1246 am resulting in an overall delay of approximately 20 minutesRailway authorities reiterated that carrying oversized or hazardous materials inside train coaches poses serious safety risks and can disrupt suburban rail services which are considered the lifeline of MumbaiDecadesOld Koli Tradition Behind the ActThe bamboo was reportedly being transported as part of a longstanding Holi tradition observed by members of the Koli community The custom involves carrying a Holi tree from Virar to Mahim for Holika Dahan a ritual that dates back to the British eraHistorically linked to the Mori Road area in Mahimmdashonce home to several chawls inhabited by fishing familiesmdashthe tradition has continued even after many families relocated to Virar due to urban redevelopment Despite the shift the community maintains strong cultural ties to MahimFestive Spirit Meets Urban ChallengesEvery year the journey begins at Virar railway station where community members carry the Holi tree on their shoulders accompanied by singing dancing and chants of devotion The tree is then transported via a local train to MahimIn a striking visual the long tree trunk is often secured along the exterior of the train while participants stand at the doors to maintain balance While the atmosphere remains celebratory officials have raised concerns over the safety implications of such practices in a densely populated transport networkAuthorities have urged citizens to celebrate festivals responsibly and within the framework of railway regulations to ensure passenger safety and uninterrupted services