A simple farmer from Katana village, Ludhiana, became the unlikely owner of an entire train, a privilege no billionaire or industrialist has ever claimed. The tale begins not in the plush offices of Mukesh Ambani or Gautam Adani but in the modest fields of Punjab, where Sampuran Singh’s relentless legal battle with the Indian Railways turned into an extraordinary episode in the records of railway history.
The tale traces back to 2007, when the Indian Railways acquired land for the Ludhiana-Chandigarh railway line. Sampuran Singh’s property, located in Katana village, was part of this acquisition. The railway authorities initially compensated him at Rs 25 lakh per acre. However, Singh discovered that land in a neighbouring village was bought at a significantly higher rate of Rs 71 lakh per acre. Singh, feeling wronged, took the matter to court.
In 2015, the court ruled in Singh's favour, mandating that the railway compensate him Rs 1.47 crore. However, the railway fell short, paying only Rs 42 lakh. Frustrated by the shortfall and the railway's continued failure to settle the amount, Singh's legal battle took an unusual turn.
In 2017, District and Sessions Judge Jaspal Verma, in a dramatic legal move, ordered the capturing of the Delhi-Amritsar Swarna Shatabdi Express train and the Ludhiana station master's office to recover the unpaid compensation. Singh, with the court's decree in hand, arrived at the Ludhiana station and took possession of the train.
For a brief period, Singh was the sole owner of a passenger train, a feat that even the wealthiest industrialists in India had not achieved. The train’s unexpected ownership drew significant attention, making Singh the only person in India to claim such a unique title.
However, this chapter was short-lived. The train was quickly released by a court official, and the matter remains unresolved in legal circles. Despite the temporary ownership, Sampuran Singh’s story remains a remarkable instance of how ordinary citizens can impact even the most monumental institutions through the power of the law.
