Anantapur: A Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) of the South Central Railways, B. Sanjeeva Rao, died of a heart attack at the Tungabhadra Railway Station in Kurnool district late on Wednesday after a fight with passengers of an AC coach.
The death sparked tension in many parts of the state after TTEs started protesting against the death of a sincere railway official, who was attacked by two passengers who accused him of theft.
Sources said B. Sanjeeva Rao, 57, a resident of HLC Colony of Anantapur was the TTE on #22601 Chennai-Sainagar (Shirdi) Express from Dharmavaram to Vadi on Wednesday.
Two couples, and Vamshi Krishna of Bangarapet and and P.K. Ambarish Babu of Chennai, were occupying seat numbers 2,3,4 and 7 of B2 AC coach.
The TTE reported for duty at Dharmavaram on Wednesday evening.
As he was going around checking tickets, the two couples picked up a fight with him for entering their coach in plain clothes at the Guntakal railway station.
They asked him to produce his ID card. Later, they started quarrelling with him over poor amenities and lack of water.
Sanjeeva Rao tried to convince the AC coach passengers that water would be filled at the Tungabhara station.
The argument continued till Tungabhadra and passengers allegedly assaulted the TTE.
Sanjeeva Rao, who was tense, got down at Tungabhadra to lodge a complaint with stationmaster Kondapuri.
Meanwhile, passengers Vamshi Krishna and Ambarish Babu also got down and rushed to the station master’s room.
They asked the station master to register a complaint against the TTE for allegedly stealing Rs 1 crore from them. Shocked at this allegation, the TTE collapsed in the station master’s office. The station master tried to help, but the TTE died.
A railway doctor who was rushed from Guntakal to Mantrala-yam, said Sanjeeva Rao died due to a heart attack caused by hypertension. The train halted for about 2.15 hours at the Tungabhadra station after the TTE’s death.
Police said that both Vamshi Krishna and Ambarish Babu were detained.
Next: Railway employees protest over death of TTE
Railway employees protest over death of TTE
Chennai: Southern Railway emÂpÂlÂoÂyees agÂÂÂiÂÂÂtated by the death of their colleague who was killed on duty staged a proÂtest at ChÂennai CeÂntÂral station here on ThÂuÂrsday.
They said that passengers had beaten to death travel ticket examiner (TTE) V. SaÂnjeevi Rao, (57), due to lack of water supplÂy on the train.
The protesters said that TTEs were being forced to work in a hostile environment.
“We have no protection. If something is wrong with the railways, people think it is because of the TTEs, and they attack us. The most disappointing aspect of this is that the police failed to arrest the accused,” said a railway employee.
Further, they pointed out TTEs should be given an escort, they said.
“We are scared for our lives. This is not the first time. PeoÂple have repeatedly tried to rough us up while performing our official duties,” the protesting employee said.
Further, they said, “we condemn the senior railway administrators for not taking care of the lives of their own employees. If there had been an escort Rao would not have been beaten to death mercilessly.” They wanted a permanent solution to the risks they were expÂosed to while on duty.
