2 Faridabad Men Put Thousands In Danger By Lighting Bonfire In Train with Dung Cakes To Beat Cold; Arrested

In a bizarre and potentially dangerous episode, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) has arrested two people for lighting a bonfire inside the general unreserved coach of the Delhi-bound express train to beat the north Indian winter chills.

The duo– identified as Faridabad residents Chandan Kumar and Devendra Singh–carried dung cakes with them to light the bonfire, putting the lives of thousands of passengers on board Sampark Kranti Superfast Express from Assam at risk, according to a report by the Times of India.

The incident came to light when some RPF personnel on duty inside the moving train spotted smoke rising from the general coach.

On inspection, they found a group huddled around a bonfire. After interrogating several passengers, cops found that the fire was lit by Chandan and Devendra. At least 14 other passengers were also reportedly detained for questioning, but let off with a warning.

The police team promptly alerted the nearest RPF base in UP’s Aligarh, where the train made an unscheduled stop to deboard the suspects and carry out preventive checks.

Chandan and Devendra were also arrested under several sections of the Indian Penal Code and Railway Act and sent to jail, TOI reported quoting RPF’s Aligarh post commander Rajeev Sharma as saying.

After their arrest in Aligarh, the duo pleaded helplessness saying it was too cold inside the general unreserved coach and they lit the fire to keep themselves warm.

A severe cold wave has gripped parts of northern India, with temperatures falling below -5 degrees Celcius in several areas in Jammu and Kashmir. The temperature in lower regions, including the national capital Delhi, has been hovering around 10 degrees Celsius.

But what stunned investigators most was the presence of dung cakes in the train.

When asked about the presence of such inflammable materials inside the train, another official said, “No such things are sold on platforms or anywhere near stations. They (Chandan and Devendra) would have brought these dung cakes with them. Further investigations are on.”