A woman who sparked controversy by cooking instant noodles on a mobile phone charging point inside a moving train was booked by the railway police and has issued a public apology, urging people not to repeat such dangerous behaviour, officials said on Thursday.
The woman, identified as Saritatai Lingayat, had posted a video of herself cooking noodles on board, which quickly went viral and raised serious concerns about fire hazards and the risk of a short circuit.
Officials from the Central Railway traced her to Pimpri Chinchwad in Pune district of Maharashtra, after the video circulated widely on social media.
The Central Railway has now registered a case against her under Section 154 of the Indian Railways Act, 1989, which deals with endangering the safety of passengers through rash or negligent acts or omissions.
Railway authorities said that such acts are strictly prohibited, as even a small spark near an electrical point can lead to a major fire on board. They also appealed to passengers to follow safety guidelines and avoid any activity that could put lives at risk.
Lingayat has since apologised publicly, saying she did not intend to cause harm and urging others to avoid attempting similar stunts.