Key Update 

A passenger travelling on the Patna–Tatanagar Vande Bharat Express raised concerns about food quality after he found worms in the curd served with his meal. He recorded a video of the incident and shared it online, drawing widespread attention. Following the complaint, the Ministry of Railways penalised the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC)

Passenger Records Video and Alerts Train Manager

The incident occurred on March 15 when Ritesh Kumar Singh received his meal on the train and noticed worms in the curd. He immediately recorded a video showing the worms clearly visible in the bowl. In the video, Singh criticised the quality of the food served on board and informed the train manager about the issue.

Railway Officials Inspect the Food

Railway officials soon arrived at Singh’s seat to examine the complaint. They used a torch to inspect the curd while Singh pointed out worms moving on the tray. The video also showed the rest of the meal placed alongside the contaminated curd. The incident attracted attention from other passengers. Several gathered around during the inspection. Some asked railway staff to provide a complaint book, while others urged Singh to post the video online to highlight the issue.

Railways Impose Penalties After Video Goes Viral

After the videos circulated widely online and triggered criticism, the Ministry of Railways responded on X and confirmed that it had taken action. The ministry stated that it had taken the complaint about food quality on train number 21896 (Patna–Tatanagar Vande Bharat Express) on March 15, 2026 seriously. Authorities penalised the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation ₹10 lakh, imposed a ₹50 lakh penalty on the service provider, and ordered the termination of the catering contract. The ministry also reiterated that passenger safety and food quality remain a top priority. Ritesh Kumar Singh, who reported the incident, is a content creator from Patna with around 1.19K subscribers on YouTube.

Source: India Today