The incident occurred when a few vendors boarded the Kalyani local ladies special coming to Sealdah in peak hour prompting loud protests from women passengers since they were carrying a few big sacks with goods in them.

Following a heated exchange, some women threw out the sacks that were blocking the compartment after which the vendors spread a rumour that they had kicked out a child from the compartment and he had died. As the train neared Sealdah, other passengers took the women to the RPF at the station.

By then, rumours about the child’s murder had spread. Locals crowded around the RPF booth near platform number 2 at Sealdah station demanding stern action against the women. As the mob swelled, the RPF personnel had to intervene when people slit open the sand sacks and threw sand at them.

Md Ahmed, inspector in-charge at platform number 2, said, “The mob grew agitated when told the women had allegedly thrown a child out of a running train and killed him. However, we spoke to the passengers and the vendors and realised the vendors had spread a rumour.”