Patna railway station violence: Train shortage triggers vandalism, stone pelting

Patna: A major disturbance broke out at Patliputra Railway Station in Bihar's capital late on Saturday night after large numbers of examination candidates and their companions gathered at the station, leading to stone pelting, vandalism and disruption of railway services.

The unrest prompted officials to deploy a large police contingent to restore order. Officials later said the situation had been brought under control and train operations had returned to normal.

The incident reportedly occurred around midnight when students travelling for the Bihar Police Prohibition Constable examination became increasingly frustrated over the shortage of trains. According to eyewitnesses, the number of passengers far exceeded the available railway services, leaving many unable to board trains.

Train services disrupted amid protest

Officials said the crowd's anger escalated after a train carrying examination candidates reportedly arrived late. As tensions grew, some people allegedly began creating disturbances and interfering with railway operations.

According to the district administration, repeated attempts were made to persuade the crowd to cooperate and allow train services to continue normally. However, certain people allegedly pulled emergency chains multiple times, causing further delays and disruptions.

Officials said demands were also raised for additional special trains despite the availability of two special services arranged for examination candidates.

The disruption reportedly prevented some students from travelling, while train movements at the station were temporarily affected.

Administration says mild force was used

Patna District Magistrate Thiyagarajan said officials received information about the disturbance around midnight and immediately reached the spot.

According to him, Officers repeatedly appealed to those gathered at the station not to create trouble and to allow candidates travelling for the examination to continue their journey. However, some anti-social elements allegedly continued to obstruct railway operations by repeatedly pulling emergency chains and raising demands for more trains.

The district administration stated that some students who wished to travel were also prevented from doing so because of the disruption.

Officials said mild force was eventually used to disperse those causing the disturbance and restore normalcy. The administration later confirmed that trains meant for examination candidates had departed and that railway operations were functioning normally.

Local shop damaged during violence

The incident also caused damage to nearby properties.

Sanjay Kumar Sharma, who runs a shop near the railway station, said the situation quickly spiralled out of control after authorities attempted to clear the crowd.

According to reports, protesters had initially blocked trains and prevented them from moving. When officials intervened to remove the blockade, sections of the crowd refused to leave, resulting in a major confrontation.

The shopkeeper added that thousands of students had gathered at the station and many were upset because there were too few trains to accommodate the large number of examination candidates.

Investigation underway

Police said the law and order situation has since been stabilised and railway services are operating without disruption.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident and are examining the circumstances that led to the violence and damage at the station.

Officials have not yet provided details about possible arrests or the extent of losses caused by the unrest.

Agency inputs