A video is going viral on social media for all the wrong reasons. It shows a woman arguing with a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) during a train journey. The video raises some serious questions. It shows the woman allegedly tearing her own clothes as the TTE confronts her for the ticket. She allegedly starts accusing the railway employee of inappropriate behaviour. The incident, which surfaced on social media on September 18, has since taken the internet by storm.What the viral video showsAs per reports, the incident took place during a ticket inspection on a train. The woman, unable to show a valid ticket when asked by the TTE, starts tearing her clothes. The argument escalated soon with the passenger reportedly making allegations against the railway employee. A video recorded during the confrontation shows the woman tearing parts of her clothing while continuing the argument.However, the exact location or the name of the train remains unclear.The same video continues and identifies herself as Radhika Tiwari. During the argument, she is reportedly heard speaking to a family member over the phone and alleging that the TTE had behaved inappropriately with her. She says, “ye mera kapda choo raha hai yaar”.She then reportedly threatened the TTE that she has a brother who is bigger than him. She also threatens him to call the emergency helpline 112 and accuses him of inappropriate behaviour. And then she starts tearing her clothes, as seen in the video.The TTE appears to have been recording the interaction on his mobile phone. The recording has subsequently circulated widely online.What the woman said when caughtThe woman, when confronted by police officials, allegedly kept denying all the allegations. In the video, a female police officer can be seen asking her why she did what she did. To which the woman says she didn’t do anything and that the TTE was misbehaving with her.Railway Seva’s reaction Railway Seva, the official X account for support to RailUsers, took to X and responded to the video asking for details.“Please share your PNR number and mobile no. preferably via DM to enable us to take immediate action. You may also raise your concern directly on RailMadad or dial 139 for speedy redressal,” Railway Seva said.What happens when a passenger has no ticket?
Woman travelling without a valid ticket
Under the Railways Act, those travelling without a valid ticket can attract the applicable fare along with an excess charge and fine. The legal framework was amended in 2026 under the Jan Vishwas reforms. The minimum excess charge for relevant ticketless or irregular travel cases was raised from ₹250 to ₹500.The amended provisions cover situations including travelling without proper authorisation and certain cases of travelling beyond the distance permitted by a ticket. If a passenger refuses or fails to pay the amount demanded under the applicable provisions, the railway authorities can pursue recovery through the competent court.Meanwhile, the viral incident raises two separate concerns: The importance of following railway ticketing rules and the need for allegations arising during passenger-staff disputes to be examined through proper channels.