IRCTC has imposed a Rs 10 lakh penalty on a catering contractor after a passenger reported finding an insect in a meal served on the Ahmedabad–Mumbai Vande Bharat train.
The incident occurred on the Vande Bharat service that departed from Ahmedabad to Mumbai. A Mumbai passenger, Aditya, said he was shocked to see an insect in the food served to him and shared a photograph of the meal on social media.
In his post, the passenger claimed that at least two similar incidents had occurred in his coach, prompting travellers to stop eating. He also alleged that the food was prepared by a contractor named Brindavan Food Products, part of the RK Group, and urged an inspection of the cooking facility.
Responding on social media, IRCTC said the contractor was penalised for serving substandard food and that the contract had been terminated. It added that the kitchen was sealed for thorough cleaning and pest-control measures.
