In a shocking breach of security, a man allegedly under the influence of alcohol drove his Alto car directly onto Platform No. 1 of Meerut Cantt railway station in Uttar Pradesh, causing widespread panic among passengers on Friday evening.

The driver, identified as Sandeep Dhaka, a serving army personnel from Baghpat currently posted in Delhi, entered the station premises in a vehicle bearing a Jharkhand number plate and marked “Fauji” on the windshield. According to railway officials and eyewitnesses, the car veered dangerously close to the moving Naucharndi Express, damaging benches along the way and creating a stampede-like situation.

Witness Rajveer Singh recalled the frightening moments: “He drove very fast, almost parallel to the train. People were shouting and trying to get away.”

Sandeep reportedly told police that he was attempting to assist his family in boarding the train. His relatives had missed the ‘Yoga Express’ and, upon spotting the Naucharndi Express approaching, he allegedly decided to drive straight onto the platform to help them catch the general coach at the front of the train. GRP Inspector Vinod Kumar confirmed, “Sandeep claimed he was trying to help his relatives board the train as they needed to reach Delhi urgently due to a medical emergency in the family.”

The car remained on the platform for approximately 20 minutes before railway protection personnel and staff managed to intercept it. Passengers, fearing for their safety, had already scattered by then. Sandeep was forcibly removed from the vehicle by bystanders and handed over to authorities.

RPF Inspector Dharmveer Singh stated that Sandeep was found to be heavily intoxicated when detained. “He was taken into custody and will be produced before the court on Saturday. The military police have also initiated a parallel inquiry,” he added.

Video footage of the incident, filmed by onlookers, quickly spread across social media platforms. Following the outrage, the Government Railway Police (GRP) Moradabad division responded with an official statement: “In connection with the aforementioned case, the GRP and RPF Meerut City have taken the said youth into police custody, registered a case, and are proceeding with further legal action as per the rules,” SP GRP Moradabad posted on X.

Legal action has been initiated under multiple provisions, including Sections 145(B), 147, 154, and 159 of the Railways Act and Section 34 of the Police Act. A medical evaluation confirmed that the accused was driving while intoxicated, and authorities have started the process to revoke his driving license.

Officials are now probing how a civilian vehicle gained access to a restricted railway platform, raising questions about lapses in station security.

Despite the dangerous nature of the incident, no casualties or injuries were reported.