MUMBAI: A ticket-checking incident at Kandivali railway station on Friday evening triggered a ruckus after a woman’s clothes were partially torn during an incident involving a chief ticket inspector (CTI) who had caught her travelling without a valid ticket.A group of people later gathered outside the ticket-checking office and allegedly pressured the inspector to apologise publicly, according to Western Railway (WR).The incident took place around 7.30pm when Priya Ambavade, CTI at Kandivali, was conducting routine ticket checks in the station’s western circulating area.According to WR, she detected a woman, aged around 25, travelling without a valid ticket.The woman allegedly requested that she be allowed to leave without paying a penalty, but the inspector continued with the prescribed procedure.According to the railway’s statement, the woman allegedly attempted to flee the station to evade the ticket-checking process.Ambavade tried to stop her, during which the inspector lost her balance and fell on the platform.In the course of the ensuing incident, the woman’s clothes were partially torn, the statement said.The woman was subsequently taken to the ticket-checking office for further action.However, three to four unidentified women accompanying her allegedly intervened and forcibly took her away from railway premises, disrupting the official process.The situation escalated when a group of people gathered outside the office and raised allegations about the inspector’s conduct, including claims that she had used inappropriate language and behaved arrogantly.The group allegedly pressured Ambavade to apologise publicly, but she declined.The Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) intervened to manage the situation and disperse the gathering.Most people left following the intervention, though a few individuals reportedly remained at the spot, with railway authorities monitoring the situation.WR said ticket-checking personnel should be able to perform their duties without intimidation or obstruction.It added that complaints against railway staff should be examined through appropriate channels and on the basis of available evidence.
