While train journeys often feature regular vendors selling tea, snacks, and water bottles, witnessing an entire makeshift shop inside a reserved coach is certainly a rarity. A bizarre and amusing video is currently taking the internet by storm, showing a man operating a full-fledged paan shop right on the berth of a moving train's air-conditioned compartment.
The incident reportedly took place on a train traveling from Mumbai to Chhattisgarh. In the viral footage, a man can be seen comfortably seated on the lower berth of a 3rd AC coach, having spread a cloth over the seat to organize all his paan-making ingredients. With absolute calmness, he is seen rolling fresh paan leaves one after another, leaving fellow passengers amused and bewildered by the unusual spectacle unfolding right next to them.
Massive Order and Growing Concerns Over Cleanliness
The video was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by the handle @indiain24hr. According to the passenger who filmed the incident, the makeshift vendor had reportedly received an order for 20 to 25 paans from fellow travelers inside the coach. To fulfill this bulk demand, he turned the passenger seat into his personal workstation. While the claims are based on eyewitness accounts in the video, the sheer audacity of the act has grabbed widespread public attention.
Questions Raised for Indian Railways
Following the widespread circulation of the clip, social media users have raised serious questions concerning hygiene and railway protocols. Netizens pointed out that train berths are meant for passengers to rest and travel comfortably, making commercial food preparation on seats a potential hygiene hazard in enclosed AC compartments. Others questioned how such unauthorised vending activities could occur inside a high-security reserved coach. Indian Railways has not yet released an official statement regarding the viral incident, leaving public debate wide open.
'The Freelance' does not independently verify the claims made in this viral social media video, which has become a major topic of online discussion. Video courtesy: Respective social media handle / Creator.
National Desk, The Freelance
Verified Editorial DeskPolitics, Governance & Public Interest Reporting Team
The Freelance National Desk provides round-the-clock, verified, and in-depth analytical reporting on Indian politics, governance, policy decisions, parliamentary affairs, and public interest matters. We are committed to unbiased, factual journalism based on verified agencies, official statements, and on-the-ground correspondents.