Nihaal Singh, a 25-year-old resident of Bina in Madhya Pradesh, was allegedly beaten with a belt and sticks by railway catering vendors aboard the Andaman Express during its halt at Jhansi station on or around 25 October 2025 though some reports note viral spread in early November.
Travelling with his family from Vaishno Devi Katra back to Bina, Nihaal reportedly questioned the vendors’ demand of ₹130 for a vegetarian thali clearly listed at ₹110 per IRCTC-approved menus, sparking a heated exchange.
The vendors allegedly returned aggressively, assaulting him in the compartment as family members and bystanders watched in horror, with a now-viral video capturing the brutality; Nihaal claims he suffered bruises and sought help from Jhansi GRP but alleges no FIR was promptly filed.
Vendors have reportedly justified the extra charge as a “service fee,” fuelling public accusations of “catering mafia” tactics, while no official IRCTC statements, arrests, or updates on investigations have surfaced publicly as of late 2025.
Brutal Assault Unfolds in Viral Video Chaos
The confrontation reportedly began innocuously during the train’s evening stop at Jhansi, a bustling junction in Uttar Pradesh where millions transit annually.
Nihaal, described by witnesses as a modest family man, ordered the standard vegetarian thali expecting the displayed ₹110 price, only for two to three catering staff allegedly from a licensed IRCTC vendor to insist on ₹130, citing additional costs.
“I just wanted the correct amount; they came back like animals and beat me without mercy,” Nihaal later recounted to local media from his hometown, his voice trembling as he displayed injuries including welts and a swollen face, though no formal hospital records have been detailed in reports.
Partial passenger efforts to separate the parties are visible in the clip, but the alleged assault lasted several minutes, leaving Nihaal shaken and the compartment in disarray, humanising the terror of what should be a routine journey.
Escalating Pattern of Vendor Overreach in Railways
This shocking episode fits a disturbing trend of alleged vendor misconduct across Indian Railways, the world’s fourth-largest network ferrying over 23 million passengers daily.
Preceding incidents include a July 2025 beating on the Rajdhani Express over inflated water bottles and a September clash near Mumbai involving samosa pricing disputes, with over 1,000 complaints of overcharging, rude behaviour, and violence lodged with IRCTC in 2025 alone.
Critics, including passenger rights groups like NCMIndia that amplified Nihaal’s video, decry the ₹1,200-crore catering sector as a “mafia turf” due to lax licensing, poor monitoring, and delayed accountability Jhansi GRP received Nihaal’s complaint, but he alleges inaction despite the evidence, with no confirmed FIR, vendor blacklisting, or compensation as of December 2025.
Nihaal’s family has appealed for swift justice, underscoring how such alleged thuggery disproportionately affects working-class travellers reliant on affordable rail meals.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Alleged violence over a paltry ₹20 not only scars individuals like Nihaal but erodes the sacred trust in Indian Railways as a democratic lifeline connecting families, workers, and dreamers across the nation.
The Logical Indian firmly advocates for peace, empathy, and dialogue as antidotes to aggression IRCTC must mandate rigorous vendor training on customer rights, deploy CCTV in pantry cars, and enforce zero-tolerance policies with immediate blacklisting and FIRs to transform trains into harmonious spaces of coexistence.
Kindness in service and accountability from authorities can spark the positive change our railways deserve, ensuring no passenger fears a simple meal.
