How A Farmer From Punjab Became The Owner Of A Shatabdi Express For 5 Minutes

Last Updated:August 16, 2025, 11:45 IST

Lawyer Rakesh Gandhi said they were tired of urging Railways to clear dues, so the court let them identify properties; Judge Verma even granted the Ludhiana station office

Sampooran Singh and his lawyer went to Ludhiana station, waited for the train's arrival, and handed over the documents to the driver. (News18 Hindi)

In an incident that astonished the entire nation, a farmer in India briefly became the owner of a train, highlighting the negligence of Indian Railways. Sampooran Singh, a resident of Katana village in Ludhiana, made history when he took possession of the Shatabdi Express train following a court order. This extraordinary event occurred due to a compensation dispute with Indian Railways.

The foundation of this incident was laid in 2007 when the Railways acquired land from several farmers, including Sampooran Singh, to construct the Ludhiana-Chandigarh railway line. While the Railways decided to pay Rs 25 lakh per acre, farmers in a nearby village received Rs 71 lakh per acre for their land. Feeling discriminated against, Sampooran Singh approached the court, which initially raised the compensation amount to Rs 50 lakh and subsequently to over Rs 1.5 crore. Despite a court order to pay by 2015, the Railways only managed to pay Rs 42 lakh.

In 2017, a district and sessions judge ordered the confiscation of the Amritsar-Delhi Swarn Shatabdi Express train and the Ludhiana station master’s office due to the unpaid amount. Sampooran Singh, along with court officials, took possession of the train, making him its owner for a few minutes. However, the section engineer of Ludhiana promptly reclaimed the train through a court officer within five minutes.

Sampooran Singh’s lawyer, Rakesh Gandhi, revealed to a news agency that a state court had awarded the train to his client in lieu of Rs 1 crore owed. Rakesh Gandhi said they were tired of urging the Railways to clear dues, so the court asked them to identify properties to recover the pending amount. Judge Jaspal Verma also granted ownership of the Station Master’s office in Ludhiana, where the train passes.

After the court order, Sampooran Singh and his lawyer went to Ludhiana station, waited for the train’s arrival, and handed over the documents to the driver. Singh allowed the train to proceed to avoid inconveniencing thousands of passengers. Later, railway officials obtained an interim court order, granting them control of the train until the case was reheard the next day. The 20-coach train operates daily between New Delhi and Amritsar.

This incident is not an isolated case. Indian courts have previously ordered the seizure of trains due to unpaid compensation. In 2016, an express train was briefly seized following a court order after a farmer in Karnataka won a compensation case. In 2015, railway officials paid Rs 30 lakh to two farmers in Himachal Pradesh to allow an express train to pass.

Sampooran Singh’s case is still ongoing, and he continues to fight for proper compensation for his land. Despite the legal battle, Sampooran Singh’s brief ownership of the Shatabdi Express remains a remarkable episode in the history of Indian Railways.

Location :

Ludhiana, India, India

First Published:

August 16, 2025, 11:45 IST

News india How A Farmer From Punjab Became The Owner Of A Shatabdi Express For 5 Minutes

Read More