Ranchi:

A man has sought Rs 10 lakh compensation from the Indian

after being bit by a rat on a first class coach late last month. The incident came to light on Tuesday after Sinha returned to Ranchi. The victim now plans to take the matter up with the railway tribunal.

PC Sinha (72), a retired chief engineer of Bokaro Steel Limited (BSL), has demanded Rs 10 lakh compensation from the South Eastern Railways (SER) after Sinha and his wife were bit by a rat on board the AC first class coach of the Hatia-Howrah Kriyayoga Express on the night of December 31.

In a written complaint to the on-board attendant of the express, the couple has written, “The coach HA1 was very dirty and full of

. One rat bit me, my wife and another co-passenger in

of the night. It is extremely shameful for the SER when the Union railway minister is stressing on passenger amenities and the Prime Minister is focusing on Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan.”

“It was around 3 am. I was sleeping when it bit me on the right hand. Few moments later, my wife also complained of

pain. Then we saw many rats under our berths,” Sinha said. One of his co-passengers traveling in the same coupe was also bitten by the rodent army.

After alighting at Howrah station on the morning of January 1, Sinha and his wife Alka (62) rushed to the SSKM hospital to undergo necessary medical treatments. The couple claimed compensation in the complaint book on board.

This is the second case of rodent menace which has been reported against the Ranchi division of SER in a week, with passengers traveling in the Hatia-New Jalpaiguri express complaining of rodent and cockroach menace during the holiday season.

Ranchi divisional railway manager (DRM) Deepak Kashyap and senior divisional commercial manager (DCM) Neeraj Kumar remained unavailable on Tuesday. However, a senior official of SER in Kolkata held the division responsible for the rodent menace. “Rodents and cockroaches come when left over food is not cleaned from the coaches. The division must ensure cleanliness in the coaches,” he added.

SER public relations officer Pallab Mukherjee said, “The railways is putting in a lot of effort towards improving passenger amenities. At the same time, we also urge commuters to be more aware about cleanliness measures in stations and trains.”