Ara, Dec 23: Panic gripped passengers aboard the Seemanchal Express after liquor smugglers allegedly opened fire at an RPF escort team late Saturday night near Jamira Halt on the Patna–Mugalsarai railway section. No injuries were reported in the incident.
According to officials, the firing took place around 11:53 pm when the Anand Vihar–Jogbani Seemanchal Express was passing through the Jamira Halt area under Ara railway police limits. Five to six rounds were reportedly fired, and three empty cartridges were later recovered from near the railway track.
The Railway Protection Force (RPF) said that a group of armed liquor smugglers, travelling in one of the coaches, applied vacuum brakes to stop the train. When the escort team from Danapur reached the coach for inspection, they encountered around ten armed suspects carrying pistols. As the RPF personnel attempted to apprehend them, the smugglers opened fire and fled into nearby bushes under cover of darkness.
The sudden gunfire triggered panic among passengers, while stone-pelting during the disturbance shattered the glass of a general coach, officials said. Train movement was briefly affected as security agencies carried out checks.
An FIR has been registered at the Mufassil police station in Ara against unidentified persons based on a complaint filed by RPF jawan Sanjeev Kumar. Senior officials, including Ara Sadar SDPO Rajkumar Sah, Rail DSP Kanchan Raj and GRP officers, visited the spot on Sunday to assess the situation.
Preliminary investigations suggest the incident may be linked to rivalry between liquor smuggling gangs operating from Patna and Bhojpur districts. Police suspect that local smugglers attempted to seize an illegal liquor consignment from another group, leading to the violent confrontation.
Railway security agencies and local police have launched a joint investigation, while efforts are on to identify and arrest those involved.
