Read about Sampuran Singh, a Ludhiana farmer, who unintentionally gained ownership of India's Swarna Shatabdi Express due to a legal oversight in land compensation.
In an astonishing turn of events, Sampuran Singh, a resident of Katana village in Ludhiana, has unintentionally found himself at the helm of the Swarna Shatabdi Express, a prominent train that operates between Delhi and Amritsar. This surprising ownership has emerged from a minor mistake made by railway authorities, sparking both amusement and intrigue across the region.
While countless passengers have traversed the vast Indian rail network among the nation's staggering 1.4 billion population, assuming ownership of an entire train remains a remarkable and rare occurrence. In a playful twist, many locals have humorously suggested that Sampuran Singh must have personally acquired the train, creating a lighthearted buzz in the community.
India's intricate railway system, managed by the government, poses a significant barrier to individual train ownership. However, a legal ruling inadvertently handed over the revenue from the Amritsar-bound Swarna Shatabdi Express to Sampuran Singh from Katana, effectively making him an unconventional owner of the train.
Sampuran Singh, a farmer by profession, has gained an unexpected place in the headlines as one of the few individuals in India to boast train ownership. The peculiar sequence of events dates back to the year 2007 when the Ludhiana-Chandigarh rail track was under construction. During this period, the railway authorities acquired Sampuran Singh's land, compensating him at the rate of 25 lakh rupees per acre. Intriguingly, land in a neighboring village fetched a substantially higher compensation of 71 lakh rupees per acre.
This stark disparity in compensation led Sampuran Singh to question the rationale behind the inconsistency. His inquiry prompted him to approach the courts. The legal proceedings resulted in the court initially raising his compensation to 50 lakh rupees per acre, and subsequently further escalating the figure to over 1.7 crore rupees per acre—an unprecedented development in the realm of land compensation.
The legal tussle began in 2012, with the court ordering Northern Railways to complete the payment by 2015. However, by the specified date, the Railways had only disbursed around 42 lakh rupees to Sampuran Singh, creating a substantial deficit. This shortfall triggered action from District and Sessions Judge Jaspal Verma, who attached the Ludhiana station and transferred ownership of the Delhi-Amritsar Swarna Shatabdi Express to Sampuran Singh.
For a brief period, Sampuran Singh found himself in an extraordinary position as the owner of the Delhi-Amritsar Swarna Shatabdi Express. Swift intervention by the Ludhiana Section Engineer, aided by court oversight, promptly resolved the situation, resulting in the train's release within a mere 5 minutes. As of now, the legal case remains pending, awaiting its final resolution in the judicial system. This inadvertent tale of ownership continues to captivate both the local community and the wider public.
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 "Meet the Ludhiana farmer who once owned Swarna Shatabdi Express")
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