BENGALURU (Metro Rail & Steel): In a precedent-setting move, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) administered a penalty to a young individual for allegedly engaging in begging activities inside a Metro train on Wednesday morning. Reports from officials revealed that the youth, believed to be in his early 20s, purchased a Metro smart card at Yeshwantpur station, investing Rs 50, and subsequently recharged the card with Rs 150. Boarding the train at Yeshwantpur, he embarked on a journey that traversed until Kuvempu Road on the Green Line.
Following his exit at Kuvempu Road station, the young commuter re-entered to board a train heading towards Nagasandra. It was during this time that security personnel apprehended him at Yeshwantpur station, accusing him of soliciting alms, and imposed a fine of Rs 500. A senior official elaborated that an off-duty security staff member, dressed in plain clothes, noticed the youth involved in begging activities within the train. Swiftly alerting the surveillance room, this led to the apprehension of the individual. The imposed penalty of Rs 500 was enforced only after confirming the youth’s capability to pay, as he possessed Rs 1,000 in his pocket at the time.
BMRCL, in the past, has taken similar measures, penalizing individuals for various infractions including consuming food inside trains, entering the paid area without purchasing tickets, creating social media reels causing inconvenience to fellow passengers, spitting, smoking, and more.
