PRAYAGRAJ: Two Travelling Ticket Examiners (TTEs) have been suspended after a video showing them accepting bribes on the Sangam Express went viral on social media. The train runs between Prayagraj and Meerut, and the incident has sparked public outrage and prompted swift action from railway authorities.

The incident came to light when Dr. Vishal Sharma, head of the Journalism Department at CSJM University, Kanpur, posted the video on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). According to Dr. Sharma, he was travelling from Kanpur to Meerut on Saturday night with a general ticket. He claimed that the TTE demanded Rs 700 to upgrade his ticket to a reserved seat but failed to provide any official receipt after accepting the money.

In a separate incident on the same train, another TTE allegedly accepted a bribe of Rs 700 from a woman passenger for allotting an unclaimed berth in the AC 3-tier coach. A fellow passenger captured this transaction on video, further substantiating the claims of corruption.

Dr. Sharma tagged the Railway Minister and Prayagraj divisional authorities in his social media post, demanding accountability. In response, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Rajneesh Agarwal took immediate action and suspended both TTEs involved—Sushil Kumar (CIT) and Hitendra Singh (Deputy CIT).

Amit Kumar Singh, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Prayagraj division, confirmed the suspensions and stated that an official inquiry has been initiated. “The matter is under investigation, and strict action will be taken based on the findings,” he said.