Agartala: Sept 06: A ticket collector on a passenger train traveling between Agartala and Dharmanagar was assaulted by banana traders at Manu station. The incident reportedly stemmed from a dispute over the illegal loading of bananas into train compartments.
According to sources, banana traders from the Bijartal area have been regularly loading bananas onto trains, causing inconvenience to passengers. This practice has led to complaints about overcrowding and difficulties in boarding and alighting.
On the day of the incident, passengers complained to the ticket collector when traders loaded bananas into a general compartment. The ticket collector instructed the traders to remove the bananas, citing rules against such practices. This angered the traders, including a tribal woman, who then attacked the ticket collector at Manu station, pulling him off the train and assaulting him. The police were promptly informed.
The injured ticket collector told the media that passengers had complained about the inconvenience caused by the bananas. When he attempted to address the issue, he was attacked by the traders.
A police official confirmed that the altercation began over the issue of loading bananas onto the train.