A 21-year-old passenger, Hemanth Kumar, caused a 10-minute disruption on Bengaluru’s Namma Metro Purple Line by pressing the emergency trip system (ETS) button as a prank at MG Road station on Tuesday afternoon. The ETS activation, meant for emergencies, led to a temporary power shutdown affecting the third rail system, halting metro services for other commuters.
After triggering the system at 4:20 PM, Kumar casually waited on the platform for about 10 minutes before boarding the next train to Cubbon Park station. Surveillance footage helped metro security staff identify and apprehend him when he arrived at the station. Upon being caught, Kumar admitted to pressing the button “for fun.”
Metro officials fined Kumar Rs 5,000 for his actions, which caused inconvenience to thousands of passengers during peak hours. Initially, he couldn’t pay the fine, but his parents later settled the amount. The ETS is an essential safety mechanism used for real emergencies, such as passengers falling on the tracks. Similar incidents in the past have caused brief but significant disruptions.
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