A shocking video allegedly showing cucumber vendors colouring pale cucumbers bright green before selling them to passengers at Katihar Junction railway station has gone viral on social media, prompting swift action from the Railway Protection Force (RPF).
According to officials, a total of nine women vendors, including the woman seen in the viral clip, have now been detained for questioning following the circulation of the video.
The now-viral footage, filmed on platforms 7 and 8 of the station, showed two women sitting together on the platform handling peeled or pale cucumbers while applying a bright green colouring substance onto them before selling them to travellers.
Watch the video here:
The clip sparked outrage online after claims emerged that the cucumbers were allegedly being coated with chemical colour to make them appear fresher and more visually appealing for customers purchasing food during train journeys.
Visuals from the station later showed RPF personnel seizing baskets filled with cucumbers from multiple vendors while several women vendors were seen being taken into custody for questioning. Videos also captured scenes from around the busy railway station, including the station building, platforms crowded with passengers, and the DRM office premises as the matter gained attention.
Following the video’s circulation, the Railway Protection Force at Katihar Railway Station launched an immediate crackdown on vendors allegedly involved in the practice.
RPF also confirmed that the viral video was genuine, while stating that authorities had begun investigating the matter soon after the footage surfaced online.
According to the inspector, nine women vendors suspected of selling the allegedly chemically coloured cucumbers to passengers were detained and questioned. He further confirmed that the woman visible in the viral clip was also among those being interrogated.
The incident has raised serious concerns online about food safety and hygiene standards at railway stations, especially regarding food items sold openly on platforms to passengers during travel.
Many social media users expressed alarm over the possibility of chemical colouring being used on fruits and vegetables meant for public consumption, with several calling for stricter food inspections and regular monitoring of vendors operating at railway stations.
Others questioned how such practices could allegedly continue unnoticed inside a major railway station despite constant passenger movement and railway staff presence. Several users also urged travellers to remain cautious while purchasing cut fruits and raw food items during journeys.
– Ends
