Overview
- National record holder Dev Meena and inter‑university champion Kuldeep Yadav say a TTE made them deboard at Panvel on January 17 over their vaulting poles, leaving them waiting about four to five hours and causing them to miss a connection.
- Central Railway denies deboarding and humiliation, saying the poles exceeded permitted dimensions, that passengers were fined Rs 1,865 under unbooked‑luggage rules, and that departure was delayed by the incoming train’s late arrival.
- The athletes and their coach contest the account, alleging an initial demand of Rs 8,000, payment of a smaller fine to proceed, and insisting the long fibreglass poles are fragile, expensive (about Rs 2 lakh each) and unsuitable for luggage vans.
- A video posted by NNIS Sports showing the exchange and the coach pleading with officials went viral, with the group ultimately boarding a later train after paying the fine; Meena says officers even involved the RPF as the dispute stretched on.
- Madhya Pradesh sports minister Vishwas Sarang says he will write to the Union railway minister seeking an athlete‑friendly transport policy and action regarding the conduct reported at Panvel.