MUMBAI: A preliminary inquiry into the altercation between a passenger and a ticket checker aboard an air-conditioned Mumbai suburban train has found that the railway employee acted in accordance with the law and prescribed procedures, Western Railway said on Monday.The clarification comes two days after a video of a heated argument between the passenger and the ticket checker over the use of Marathi during ticket checking went viral on social media.In a statement, Western Railway said the inquiry found no misconduct or procedural lapse on the part of the ticket checking staff, news agency PTI reported.“The preliminary inquiry has found that the railway employee had acted in accordance with the law and prescribed procedures. At no stage was any misconduct or deviation from the prescribed procedure found on the part of the staff,” the statement said.It added that the ticket checker discharged his duties in accordance with the provisions of the Railways Act, 1989, as amended through the Jan Vishwas Act, 2026, and the rules governing ticket inspections.According to the Railways, the ticket checking staff boarded the Virar-Churchgate AC local train at Virar around 2. 06pm on Saturday and was carrying out a routine ticket inspection when the passenger was asked to produce a valid travel ticket.Officials said the passenger insisted that the ticket be demanded in Marathi.The ticket checker subsequently addressed him in Marathi, but the passenger allegedly continued arguing with the staff, disrupting the ticket checking process and interfering with official duties.The passenger was later deboarded at Andheri station and taken to the Railway Protection Force (RPF) office for legal action to prevent further disruption, the Railways said. He was briefly detained before being released later.The incident first came to light after videos of the confrontation inside the train surfaced online.In the footage, the passenger is seen recording the interaction and alleging that railway staff refused to speak to him in Marathi.The ticket checker also begins recording the exchange on his mobile phone as the argument escalates.Following the incident, both the passenger and the ticket checker approached the Andheri Government Railway Police (GRP), seeking action.Railway authorities had then initiated a preliminary inquiry after the videos went viral.The passenger’s brief detention by the RPF triggered protests outside the Andheri RPF office by members of the Marathi Ekikaran Samiti, who alleged that he was harassed for insisting on speaking in Marathi.Western Railway, however, reiterated that while it respects India’s linguistic and cultural diversity and encourages its staff to communicate courteously with passengers in regional languages wherever possible, railway employees cannot be obstructed from carrying out their lawful duties.The inquiry is expected to continue, and the Railways said further action, if required, will be taken based on the outcome of the investigation.(With agency inputs)
