"I have nothing to say. These things happen almost daily. Wh

Setting fire to AC compartments of the Shramajeevi Express near Patna was not the handiwork of students, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Tuesday (August 18). “They are not students as reported," Banerjee said on the torching of four AC bogies of the 2392 New Delhi-Rajgir Shramajeevi Express at Bihta railway station, 35 km from Patna.

Initially declining to comment, the Railway Minister said "I have nothing to say. These things happen almost daily. What can be done?” A mob of students burnt four AC bogies of Shramajeevi Express after a clash with securitymen who prevented them from forcibly occupying reserved seats. Superintendent of Railway Police (Patna) U K Singh said a group of students boarded the air-conditioned compartments of 2392 New Delhi-Rajgir Shramajeevi Express at Ara railway station and tried to grab reserved seats.

They picked up a quarrel and clashed with the security personnel when they were asked to de-board at Bihta, the next station. Three students, including the one identified as Santosh, sustained injuries in the clash, Singh said, adding that they got infuriated following a rumour that Santosh had died. The angry students then smashed the window panes of the superfast train and torched the AC coaches at Bhita, he said.

Police reached the spot and baton charged the students to control the situation, he said. The passengers in the AC coaches soon alighted from their train with their luggage when the trouble started, official sources said, adding that four passengers were injured in stone pelting and clash. East Central Railway's Danapur division PRO R K Singh confirmed that the four air-conditioned coaches of the train were gutted.