Shillong, July 20: Seven Kanwariyas (devotees of Lord Shiva) have been arrested for assaulting a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan at the Mirzapur railway station in Uttar Pradesh, following a dispute over the purchase of train tickets.
The incident, which was caught on CCTV, has since gone viral on social media.
The footage shows a group of Kanwariyas who dressed in saffron—brutally attacking the jawan as he was about to board the Brahmaputra Mail. The jawan is seen being pinned down, punched and kicked repeatedly while bystanders look on. At one point, a concerned passenger is seen attempting to pull one of the attackers away, but the others continue the assault.
According to Railway Protection Force (RPF) in-charge inspector Chaman Singh Tomar, a case was promptly registered after the incident, and seven individuals involved in the attack were arrested.
“Seven Kanwariyas have been arrested in the case of beating up a CRPF jawan,” confirmed Tomar.
The accused were part of the ongoing Kanwar Yatra, an annual pilgrimage in which devotees of Lord Shiva walk barefoot to collect holy water from the Ganga River, which they carry in pitchers known as Kanwars to offer at Shiva temples. This year’s yatra began on July 11 and is scheduled to conclude on July 23, aligning with the Hindu month of Shravan (Sawan).
 have been arrested for assaulting a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan at the Mirzapur railway station in Uttar Pradesh, following a dispute over the purchase of train tickets. ){kind=link}