Thane Model Arrested for Attacking RPF Personnel with Blade on Aravali Express
Model Antara Soham Banerjee, a 31-year-old resident of Thane, was arrested after allegedly attacking Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel with a razor blade aboard the Aravali Express on August 12. The incident occurred following a dispute after she entered a reserved AC coach with a sleeper-class ticket.
Banerjee, who was travelling to Surat for a shoot, allegedly occupied a seat in the AC coach without a valid reservation. The altercation unfolded between Borivali and Dahanu between approximately 9:30 pm and 10:50 pm.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), the conflict began when a fellow passenger asked Banerjee to vacate the reserved seat. When she refused, the passenger alerted ticket collector Harikesh Tripathi and the RPF. RPF assistant sub-inspector Yaminikant Mishra and constable Rajesh Kumar intervened, but Banerjee allegedly became violent and abused the officials.
Police stated that Banerjee then undressed, brandished a blade, and injured Mishra as well as herself. Mishra also alleged that Banerjee damaged his uniform and his mobile phone during the confrontation.
To prevent the situation from escalating, RPF personnel secured the doors of the AC coach. Banerjee then allegedly attempted to break the coach glass to escape. The episode lasted for over an hour, leaving passengers inside the compartment shaken.
Banerjee was deboarded at Dahanu railway station and handed over to the Government Railway Police (GRP). She was taken into custody by the Borivali railway police the following morning.
Borivali GRP inspector Kunda Gavade stated that eyewitnesses suggested Banerjee may have been distressed after failing to secure a confirmed AC coach ticket. When asked to contact family members or legal counsel, Banerjee refused and demanded to be arrested, though she calmed down once the FIR was registered.
The FIR, registered on August 13, booked Banerjee for endangering passenger safety, causing grievous harm to public servants, assault, and intentional insult. She was served a notice and subsequently released on bail.
Following the incident, the public relations team for actress Antarra Subrata Banerjee of Andheri West issued a clarification, stating that media reports had mistakenly used her photograph and confirming that she had no connection to the case.
