Youtuber Kanika Devrani Allegedly 'Drugged' & Robbed Inside Train In North Bengal

YouTuber Kanika Devrani, through her social media accounts, claimed of being drugged and robbed near New Jalpaiguri Junction Railway Station (NJP) in West Bengal during her recent train travel. Her video has sparked a heated discussion among social media users about train travel safety; a few also tagged IRCTC and West Bengal Police to report the alleged incident.

She alleged that she and her co-passengers were drugged and robbed on board the Brahmaputra Mail. An investigation is underway in this matter, as reported by a spokesperson of Northeast Frontier Railways.

Kanika’s Post 'Travel Safe'

Through a social media post titled ‘Travel Safe’, Kanika shared her claimed experience of being ‘drugged and robbed’. She started a series ‘30 days of Awaragardi’ on her YouTube channel, for which she was travelling for 30 days at a stretch. The incident allegedly occurred during her travel from Delhi to Kamakhya on 2AC of the Brahmaputra Mail. She alleged a man without tickets was allowed in the compartment by the railway staff, raising concerns over the absence of any Ticket Collectors to check tickets. She also exclaimed her assumption of being sedated by sprays.

Kanika claimed of being blacked out for a while, returning to her senses on hearing commotion caused by her co-passenger's phone theft — only to realise her phone had also been stolen.

In the video, she claims that during her travel, a stranger boarded the 2AC compartment without a ticket and spoke to some of the passengers while crossing it. She alleges that she had a blackout for a period, and when she came to her senses, her iPhone, kept below her pillow, was missing. She said that her co-passenger, who also lost his mobile phone, had a similar experience.

How Did The Authorities Respond

The YouTuber alleged that the Railway Protection Force (RPF) staff were reluctant to take immediate action. Devran continues that someone claiming to be an RPF official later called her mother from her phone and asked for the password. Her mother refused to share any password despite being repeatedly called by different numbers.

Kanika stated that the phone that was stolen from beneath her pillow was an iPhone 15 Pro Max, costing between 1.5 Lakhs to 2 Lakhs. She had been tracking her phone through the Find My Device application, receiving notifications every time the phone was switched on. Her stolen phone's location was shown to be in West Bengal's Malda. She alleged that despite conveying the details shown in the application to RPF and Police, they had not taken any action.

“I had a spare phone that saved me, or else I would have been lost in an unknown place,” Kanika said. She alleged that RPF staff and Police officers had been largely uncooperative. Kanika claimed to be traumatised about travelling in trains after this experience. She added that her trust in train travel safety, even in 1st Class and 2AC, has been shattered with this experience.

“The lady is presently in Guwahati. Railway Protection Force has registered her complaint, and help of the CEIR portal is being taken to trace her lost phone and nab the criminals. The entire matter is being investigated in detail and strong action will be taken to ensure recurrence of any such incident in the future,” Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, Chief Public Relations Officer, Northeast Frontier Railway, told to the media.

How did social media react?

“Very sad to see this, and thank god you’re safe, Kanika. @irctc.official @railminindia Is it that easy for anyone to enter the 2S class without a ticket, even under the supervision of your employers? This is the safety you’re providing to your passengers, especially to females. You must look into this matter and take action as quickly as possible,” an individual questioned.

Another added, “You are safe, that's more than enough. But this is a video we have to share with people who are travelling alone also or who are travelling by train, keep travel safe and stay alert kyunki aisa har train me hota hai. Mereko toh neend hi nahi aati train me raat ko.”