Mysuru: Tense moments prevailed at the Mysuru railway station on Sunday morning after activists of a right-wing organisation allegedly checked the identity documents of around 36 passengers who had arrived in the city aboard the weekly Howrah Express.
Following the incident, the Railway Police registered an FIR against six activists for allegedly causing nuisance within the railway station premises. The six were later released on station bail.
Activists questioned passengers’ documents
According to the Railway Police, the activists approached a group of passengers who had arrived by the Howrah Express and sought to verify their identity documents.
Police said all the passengers produced documents establishing their nationality and identity. Of the 36 passengers, 34 reportedly produced Aadhaar cards bearing addresses from West Bengal.
The activists, however, claimed that the documents appeared suspicious and alleged that some of the passengers could be illegal migrants.
According to the activists, this was the second such drive carried out by them in recent days following reports that migrants from Bangladesh allegedly staying illegally in West Bengal had begun arriving in Karnataka after the recent Assembly elections in the state.
Activists claim documents appeared dubious
The activists stated that they handed over the passengers to the Railway Police because they had doubts regarding the authenticity of the documents produced.
“All of them produced Aadhaar cards, but we suspect that some of them could be fake. We wanted the Railway Police to verify the documents,” the activists said.
They further claimed that the passengers informed them that they were travelling to work in coffee plantations in Wayanad in Kerala and in Sakaleshapura and Virajpet in Karnataka.
The activists maintained that their actions were aimed at bringing the matter to the attention of the authorities and ensuring verification of the travellers’ identities.
Railway Police register FIR
Railway Police officials stated that the passengers had produced valid identity documents and that there was no immediate evidence to support the allegations raised by the activists.
Considering the disturbance caused within the railway station premises, police registered an FIR against six activists for creating a nuisance and disrupting normal activities.
“All the passengers produced identity documents. Therefore, a case was registered against the activists for causing disturbance inside the station,” a police officer said.
The six individuals named in the FIR were subsequently released on station bail on Sunday evening.
Right-wing organisation alleges bias
Reacting to the police action, Vasanth Kumar, City Convener of the Hindu Jagarana Vedike, alleged that the Railway Police had unfairly targeted the organisation’s activists.
“Instead of registering an FIR against the activists, the police should verify the documents produced by the travellers,” he said.
He also alleged that the police action was influenced by political pressure, a charge that has not been officially responded to by the authorities.
Meanwhile, sources said that Mysuru-Kodagu MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar visited the railway station and collected information regarding the incident.
The incident has sparked debate over the powers of private individuals and organisations to question travellers’ identities and the responsibility of law enforcement agencies in verifying documents and maintaining order in public places.