Worms in Vande Bharat meal trigger outrage, IRCTC fined ₹10 lakh after viral complaint

A food safety lapse aboard a Vande Bharat Express has sparked public outrage, prompting the Ministry of Railways to impose a ₹10 lakh penalty on the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) after a passenger alleged he was served curd containing worms.

The incident surfaced on March 15 when Ritesh Kumar Singh, a passenger on the Patna–Tatanagar Vande Bharat Express, recorded a video shortly after being served his meal. The footage showed a bowl of curd with visible worms, as Singh criticized the quality of onboard catering and said he had alerted the train manager.

In subsequent clips, railway officials were seen arriving at his seat to examine the complaint. Using a torch, they inspected the curd while Singh pointed out worms moving in the dish. The visuals also captured the rest of the meal served on the same tray, raising further concerns over hygiene standards.

The episode quickly drew the attention of fellow passengers, several of whom gathered around during the inspection. Some demanded access to a complaint book, while others urged Singh to share the video online to highlight the issue more widely.

After the videos went viral, triggering sharp reactions on social media, the Ministry of Railways said it had taken serious note of the matter. In a statement, the ministry confirmed punitive action against the catering authorities.

“Action taken — IRCTC has been penalized ₹10 lakh, the service provider has been penalized ₹50 lakh, and the contract has been ordered to be terminated. Passenger safety and quality remain our top priority,” the ministry said.

Singh, a Patna-based content creator with over 1.19K subscribers on YouTube, has since amplified the issue online, bringing renewed scrutiny to food quality and hygiene practices on premium trains.