Mumbai: Airport staffer carries luggage with ‘BOM’ tag, beaten up on suspicion of being terrorist

The Railway Protection Police (RPF) said Shinde asked a fellow passenger, Ganesh Shankar (24), for a charger. They started chatting and soon, Shinde asked Shankar to come with him near the passage in front of the train’s gates, as he wanted to show him something interesting on the “recipe to make a bomb”.

“Shankar grew skeptical but laughed it off. But when Shinde handed over his cellphone to Shankar and asked him to type out his mobile number… Shankar raised an alarm and called the ticket examiner and other passengers,” an officer RPF Udhna said.

Several passengers arrived and began checking Shinde’s luggage. They found the airline tag of ‘BOM’, which they mistook for “bomb”, said the RPF. Following this, the passengers began beating up Shinde when the train was pulling in at Bardoli station. “When inquired about the map scribbled on his luggage, Shinde said that he had drawn it to explain the route of char dhaam yatra to a friend,” said the officer.

Shinde was handed over to Surat Government Railway Police while the train was checked for any suspected bomb. The train, which was to leave Badroli station at 11.35 pm, finally departed around 12.10 am.

While Shinde was detained at the police station, he explained that the tag on his luggage was from the airport where he worked as a utility van driver. The GRP verified the same from his family the next afternoon after they arrived at the Surat GRP post from Palghar. Following this, Shinde was let off and a diary entry was made in the matter.