A vendor onboard an Indian Railways train has been fined after he was spotted carrying tea and coffee cans out of a toilet – suggesting customer beverages had been mixed in a public bathroom.

Outcry in response to video of the incident has led India’s national railway to carry out an inquiry. Footage circulating online shows a man in a blue t-shirt leaving a train toilet with hot drinks dispensers for customers.

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The incident has led to numerous comments online about health and safety. “In trains tea and coffee sellers bringing water from toilets… they are playing with public health. Friends please be aware while traveling in Indian Railways,” one Facebook commenter said.

Clarification given by CPRO @SCRailwayIndia on the above shocking video of an Indian Railways vendor seeming to add water from a train’s toilet in tea/coffee. More stringent action need to be taken. Vendor's license should be cancelled with immediate effect and send them to jail. pic.twitter.com/TufQrGjISH — Bhushan Reddy (@bhushan_tweets) May 3, 2018

An #Indian#tea vendor caught on film taking water from a #train#toilet before selling his drinks to passengers has been fined as concerns grow in the country over #foodsafety — Noorani Tejani (@NooraniTejani) May 3, 2018

So citizens' health concern is just worth Rs. 1L according to Railways? Jail them all and make them drink the same toilet water they used for making tea/coffee on train. — Revenant (@belligerent__) May 3, 2018

A few questions : 1. Why they haven’t cancelled the license of the vendor ?2. Regarding the 1 lakh. Who will get that one lakh. The railways which acted only when the video got viral or the passengers who unknowingly took a sip of the tea ? — Ashish Singh (@Nalla_Aashish) May 3, 2018

As a result the government has been forced to intervene, slapping the official vendor with a fine of 100,000 rupees, the equivalent of US$1,500.

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“It has come to notice that a video has been in circulation on social media in the last few days of a vendor seen coming out of a train toilet with tea/coffee cans, conveying that water is mixed in the cans inside the toilet,” a statement from the Indian Ministry of Railways read.

“An inquiry has been held to identify the wrongdoers and initiate appropriate action.”

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