3 Held In Maharashtra For Taking Cash, Falsely Promising Seats To 23 Migrants In Special Shramik Train

Three people were arrested in Maharashtra's Navi Mumbai on Friday, May 22, for allegedly cheating migrants labourers by promising them seats in the Shramik Special trains.

According to reports, the accused identified as Hassan Sayyed, hawker Raghavendra Gupta and fruit-seller Irfan Mahigir had duped nine labourers from Wadghar and from Mandangad in Ratnagiri.

The migrant workers had reached Panvel railway station on foot to board a train to their home state, Bihar on Friday.

Inspector Ajaykumar Landge of Panvel police station said, "They collected money from the 23 people and asked them to wait as they made arrangements on the train."

The official also said that police identified the 23 migrant labourers who had been dupped for money and ensured that they got seats on the Shramik special leaving for Bihar.

He also informed that a sum of Rs 3,000 was seized from the three arrested, reported The Times of India.

Shramik Special trains have been operating since 1 May to ferry the stranded migrants in various parts of the country.

2,600 Shramik Special trains completed journey since 1 May, taking over 35 lakh passengers to their destination, said the Railway Board chairman Vinod Kumar Yadav.

In next ten days, 36 lakh migrants will be travelling on the Shramik Special trains, he said at a press conference on Saturday, May 23.

Yadav said states are requested to put forward their needs to ensure that the migrants are safely ferried to their native states during the lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Also Read: COVID-19 Lockdown: Hundreds Of Migrants Cross Yamuna River On Foot To Reach Bihar