Pramesh S Jain & Yogesh K Porwar
T
he Railway Protection Force and General Railway Police stepped up vigil after two windows of a coach of (Train No-20607,Mysuru -Chennai),Vande Bharat Express were found damaged due to stone pelting incidents when some miscreants pelted stones at the train.
The incident occurred on Saturday between Krishnarajapuram–Bengaluru Cantonment Railway Stations.No one was injured in the incident.
Senior Railway officials,said,frequent incidents of pelting stone on trains are being occurred recently.
Railway Protection Force (RPF) has registered 21 stone pelting cases in January,2023 and 13 cases in February, 2023,over Bengaluru Division of South Western Railway.
The cases have been registered based on the incidents that have been reported in Lottegollahalli–Kodigehalli, Bayyappanahalli–Channasandra,Channasandra-Yelahanka,Chikkabanawar–Yesvantpur sections and also near Krishnarajapuram,Baiyyappanahalli,Tumakuru, Banaswadi,Carmelaram and Bengaluru Cantonment areas.
Pelting of stones to trains result in damage to public property.It causes injury to passengers in the train which will sometime be fatal also.
Pelting stones on trains is a non-bailable offence.As per Section 152 of Railways Act,if any person throws stone at a train and such act is likely to endanger the safety of passengers on the train,he shall be punishable with life imprisonment or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to ten years,the release,said.
Apart from stepping up vigil,awareness drives are being organized by RPF at the locations of such incidents as well as in neighboring areas covering schools,villages and some strategic locations to ensure miscreants desist from acts which endanger safety of train operations.
Railway department is also sensitizing the public in this regard through announcements and display of messages in CCTVs in Stations,Waiting Halls and other Railway areas of public contact.
Railways officials,appeal to the general public and passengers to inform on the toll-free helpline number (139) if they come across incidents of stone pelting.
