“On 5th August, 2016, I was travelling from Ahmedabad to Baroda in Vivek Express.
I didn’t have a reserved ticket, so took a superfast ticket for Baroda, and as no seats were available in AC, I went to the sleeper class. I was allotted seat no. 31 in coach no. 6 by the TC.
I was happily munching on bhel which you don’t usually get in AC coaches.
When I got done with eating, I just noticed an unusual glance at me. I saw a guy in Orange T-shirt sitting with his phone in his lap, and the camera of his phone in my direction.
Shocked! I looked at that guy’s face and instantly his expressions gave up his act. I didn’t wait for a second before approaching him, and told him to show me his phone! The moment he saw me approaching, he starting moving his head in a ‘no’ before I even questioned him. He said “no, no I didn’t do anything madam! I Swear, I didn’t do anything”.
So I said “okay if you haven’t done anything wrong then why are you hiding, show me the phone and it will prove you innocent, if you really haven’t done anything”. But he refrained from giving me his phone.
Then I said “so now I will have to call the police only” And he replied “okay call the police, I haven’t done anything”.
And the moment I went back to my seat, I saw his hands shivering and hurriedly tapping his phone and I am 110% sure and I hope I am right, that he was deleting the video.
I could immediately sense it because I have come across such situations earlier as well, and even then I reacted instantly! So then I dialed 100 and inform them about the whole incident, To which a police constable named Sanjay came.
He immediately noted down all the details and the complaint and he said that “the police authorities will see you at Baroda station, keep your phone with you.”
And I was really relieved to see them at the station, but..because the man was definitely at fault he ran away just before Baroda station arrived.
Then they took me to the police control room. Where I lodged the complaint. They were really helpful, no doubt about it. But what happened after that was unbelievably shocking! I was waiting at the station for my friend, and I noticed a torch in my direction!
And I lost it! I went to that man and asked ‘bhaiya photo le raye the kya?’.
Then he acted so innocent saying ‘no no madam, was calling my wife, you can check my phone if you want to.’ And I thought, he might be right. I was doubting unnecessarily.
After roughly a minute, I don’t know why, I thought ‘okay I maybe wrong, but then why was his camera towards me and why was the torch light on..anyway he himself offered to check his phone, so it’s cool even if I maybe wrong..but I need to be sure.’
So I approached him again and said ‘bhaiya Ek baar gallery khol k dikhao’. And he readily said ‘Haan Haan dekho’. And somewhere I was a little hopeful that I might be wrong. When he opened the gallery of his phone,
To my disbelief, I saw it. That man was indeed taking my video!
I deleted it right then and shouted at him ‘abhi abhi ek banda train mein mera video le raha tha, usi ki complaint karke aa rahi hu, bolo Toh aapko bhi leke chalu police station!’. And he started blabbering some bullshit explanations.
But I had lost it man like the same incident twice in two hours?
I again went to the police control room on the 1st platform, and told the inspector to give me his number so that if at all this incident repeats, I can call him and inform him.
He got agitated too, and he sent a lady constable to stay with me till my friend arrived at the station.
Her name was Ranjanben.
All these government officials, who helped me instantly on one call, rebuilt my confidence to travel alone.
There are still some good souls out there who are there to help people.”
Submitted By – Labdhie Mehta