YouTuber and travel vlogger Kanika Devrani has alleged that she was drugged and robbed while travelling on the Brahmaputra Mail from Delhi to Guwahati on June 26. The incident, which reportedly took place in a 2AC coach, has raised concerns over passenger safety, prompting a response from the Railways.
In a video shared on Instagram titled “Travel Safe”, Devrani claimed she lost consciousness during the journey and discovered her iPhone missing when the train halted at New Jalpaiguri station in West Bengal. She alleged that an unauthorised person entered her compartment, sprayed a sedative, and stole her phone. A co-passenger also reported a similar experience, she said.
“First class AC tickets weren’t available, so I booked a 2AC ticket thinking it would be safe. At New Jalpaiguri, while I was asleep and my phone was charging near my berth, someone took it,” Devrani said in her reel.
The vlogger questioned how someone without a valid ticket was able to enter a reserved coach. She further alleged that Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel did not cooperate with her even after she located her phone via a tracking app in West Bengal’s Malda district.
Railways reacts
Devrani also posted about the incident on social media, tagging West Bengal Police and Malda Police, and urged authorities to take action.
Responding to her complaint, Railway Seva (@RailwaySeva) wrote on X, “For necessary action, escalated to the concerned official.”
The incident has sparked a flurry of reactions online, with several users calling out the lack of security in long-distance trains, particularly for women.
“Very sad to see this. Thank God you’re safe, Kanika,” one user commented, while another wrote, “Is it really this easy for anyone to enter reserved coaches without supervision? What safety are you providing to your passengers?”
Some also criticised the broader state of railway security. “Safety is a joke in India,” one comment read.
As of now, there is no official word from the RPF or local police on whether an investigation has been launched.