Latest news with #BarauniExpress
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
316 whisky bottles found in AC duct of ‘dry' Bihar-bound train
1 2 Lucknow: Passengers on board Lucknow Junction–Barauni Express (Train No. 15204) complained about low cooling in an AC-2 tier coach when the train was passing through Uttar Pradesh. However, they were taken by surprise when the railway technician opened the AC duct only to discover that it was stuffed with 316 whisky bottles. The stash included 256 bottles of Officer's Choice and 60 bottles of After Dark Blue whisky, each 180 ml, totalling nearly 57 litres of liquor. The incident took place on Tuesday and its video went viral. A coach attendant was arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle the liquor bottles to Bihar which is a dry state. The consignment was found in the duct in the sixth row of the A2 coach. Bottles wrapped in paper sheets were obstructing the airflow above berths 32 and 34. The onboard GRP team from Basti, which had taken charge of the train at Burhwal Junction, was alerted. When the train reached Basti station, a joint team of GRP and RPF personnel seized the consignment. Passengers captured the moment on video, with one officer heard exclaiming, "Yeh dekhiye khazana! (Look at this treasure!)". by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The 5 Books Warren Buffett Recommends You To Read in 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Basti GRP SHO, Pankaj Kumar Yadav, confirmed the arrest of coach attendant Ashish Kumar, who hails from Khagaria in Bihar. Ashish admitted to regularly smuggling liquor from Uttar Pradesh to Bihar, where prohibition laws have created a thriving black market. He said he concealed the bottles in the AC duct to avoid detection and sold them at double the price. Ashish has been booked under Section 60 of the Excise Act and sent to jail. Interestingly, Ashish's duty was in a different coach, but to guard his illegal whisky consignment, he had moved to AC-2 coach, while the actual coach (identity withheld by TOI) attendant was on leave. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Happy Independence Day wishes , messages , and quotes !
NDTV
4 days ago
- NDTV
Liquor Bottles Found In Train AC Duct After Low Cooling Complaint, Railways React
A routine complaint about poor air conditioning on the Lucknow-Barauni Express led to the discovery of hundreds of whiskey bottles hidden in the AC duct of an AC-2 tier coach. The incident happened when passengers reported issues with the cooling system, prompting an unscheduled technical inspection stop. Railway technicians, inspecting the duct above berths 32 and 34, found the bottles wrapped in newspaper, obstructing airflow. The authorities confiscated the illicit liquor and conducted a thorough search of the coach to ensure no further contraband was hidden. "A viral video shows the illicit liquor hidden in the AC duct of a coach of the Lucknow–Barauni Express. Passengers had complained about poor air-conditioning in the coach. When the technician opened the duct, a hidden consignment of liquor was found inside it," the video was captioned on X. Watch the video here: A viral video shows the illicit liquor hidden into the AC duct of a coach of the Lucknow–Barauni Express. Passengers had complained about poor air-conditioning in the coach. When the technician opened the duct, a hidden consignment of liquor was found inside it. — Gems Of India (@GemsOfIndia_X) August 14, 2025 On X, RailwaySeva replied to a user's video and wrote, "For necessary action escalated to the concerned official @drm_sonpur." In a second tweet, they added, "This is to inform you that, in connection with this incident, GRP Basti has registered Crime No. 34/2025 under Section 60 of the Excise Act." For necessary action escalated to the concerned official @drm_sonpur — RailwaySeva (@RailwaySeva) August 14, 2025 The Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Sonpur followed up with an apology and confirmed the actions taken. "We regret the inconvenience caused to passengers. The illicit liquor was seized by the appropriate concerned authorities, and the issue of less cooling was resolved afterwards. We are thankful for bringing the issue to our notice," the reply read. We regret the inconvenience caused to passengers. The illicit liquor was seized by appropriate concerned authorities and the issue of less cooling was resolved afterwards. We are thankful for bringing the issue to our notice. — DRM SONPUR (@drm_sonpur) August 14, 2025 While the Railways took action after the incident surfaced, social media users questioned whether passengers, railway officials, or unauthorised individuals with access to the coach were involved in smuggling the alcohol. One user wrote, ''Common passengers will not do such a thing. It can't be loaded when the train is in the station. It would have been loaded at the yard. So railway officials are responsible for smuggling." Another commented, "Wow! What a jugaad. If you had used this much brain for something worthwhile, you could have done something good. But the brain was used in liquor smuggling." Bihar has had a total prohibition on alcohol sale and consumption since April 2016, with strict penalties for violations. While intended to reduce alcohol abuse and related crimes, the ban has led to increased smuggling activity. Traffickers use creative methods, including hiding liquor in vehicles, cargo, and passenger trains, to smuggle alcohol into the state.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
AC duct treasure: 316 whisky bottles seized after passenger reported cooling issues, liquor smuggling foiled on Lucknow–Barauni Express; coach attendant arrested
316 whisky bottles hidden in an AC duct after a passenger reported cooling issues LUCKNOW: As Bihar prepares for its upcoming assembly elections, liquor smugglers are intensifying efforts to sneak alcohol into the dry state. In a dramatic incident aboard the Lucknow Junction–Barauni Express (Train No. 15204), 316 whisky bottles were discovered hidden inside the air-conditioning duct of an AC-2 tier coach. The discovery was made on Tuesday afternoon when a passenger complained about poor cooling in the sixth row of coach A2. Upon inspection, a railway technician found whisky bottles wrapped in newspaper obstructing airflow above berths 32 and 34. The stash included 256 bottles of Officer's Choice and 60 bottles of After Dark Blue whisky, each 180 ml, totaling nearly 57 litres of illegal liquor. The onboard GRP team from Basti, which had taken charge of the train at Burhwal Junction, was alerted immediately. Upon arrival at Basti station, a joint team of GRP and RPF recovered the entire consignment. Passengers captured the moment on video, with one officer heard exclaiming, 'Yeh dekhiye khazana!' ('Look at this treasure!'). Station House Officer of Basti GRP, Pankaj Kumar Yadav, confirmed the arrest of Ashish Kumar, a coach attendant from Khagaria district in Bihar. During interrogation, Ashish admitted to regularly smuggling liquor from Uttar Pradesh to Bihar, where prohibition laws have created a thriving black market. He revealed that he concealed the bottles in the AC duct to avoid detection and sold them at double the price to support his family. Ashish has been booked under Section 60 of the Excise Act and sent to jail. Interestingly, Ashish's official duty as coach attendant was in a different coach, but to guard his illegal whisky consignment, he had moved to A2 coach, while the actual coach attendant (identity withheld by TOI) was on leave. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. "Get the latest news updates on Times of India, including reviews of the movie Coolie and War 2 ."
