Dead Cockroach In Vande Bharat Meal Again, IRCTC Imposes Penalty On Service Provider

Amid recent reports of the discovery of dead animals in food items including a centipede in ice cream, snake in meal served at college mess, mouse in chocolate syrup and frog in a wafer packet, a couple travelling on Vande Bharat train found a cockroach in the meal served on June 18.

The couple’s nephew shared the incident on social media demanding action against the vendor. “Today on 18-06-24 my Uncle and Aunt were travelling from Bhopal to Agra in Vande Bharat. They got “COCKROACH” in their food from @IRCTCofficial. Please take strict action against the vendor and make sure this would not happen again @RailMinIndia @ AshwiniVaishnaw,” the user wrote in an X post.

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) responded to the post and noted that “suitable penalty has been imposed on the concerned service provider”.

“Sir, We apologize for the travel experience you had. The matter has been viewed seriously and a suitable penalty has been imposed on the concerned service provider. We have also intensified the production and logistics monitoring,” IRCTC responded to the post.

This is not the first time a cockroach was found in the meal served on Vande Bharat. Earlier this year in February, a passenger, Dr Shubhendu Keshari had found a dead cockroach in the meal served by IRCTC while travelling from Kamlapati to Jabalpur junction.

In July 2023, the IRCTC imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on a food vendor after a passenger on the Bhopal-Delhi Vande Bharat found a cockroach in the meal.