Unknown miscreants pelted stones at the premium Vande Bharat Express near Arakkonam in Chennai on Saturday, May 6. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) officials have registered a case against the miscreants, and are reviewing the CCTV footage from the train. The train was headed to MGR Chennai Central Station from Mysuru when the incident occurred. While no passengers were hurt, a window of coach C8 was damaged.
Arakkonam RPF inspector Mohammed Usman told TNM, “The exact location is yet to be determined and we are hoping to ascertain it soon using the CCTV footage. However, we believe that stones were hurled between Mahendravadi and Anavardikhanpettai railway stations. We have filed a case under section 154 (Endangering safety of persons travelling by railway by rash or negligent act) of the Railway Act 1989.”
Southern Railway Headquarters in Chennai officials have confirmed that the damaged windows are being inspected, and if the damages are too serious, the windows are being replaced. The Southern Railway is actively deploying RPF in areas where stone pelting has taken place frequently in recent times to ensure the safety of the passengers.
According to reports, a similar incident was reported from Tamil Nadu in March this year when a 21-year-old man was arrested by the Jolarpet police after he pelted stones at the Vande Bharat Express en-route to Mysuru.
Moreover, the Chennai division of Southern Railway has reported that a total of 72 incidents of stone pelting were reported to them between February 2022 and February 2023. To ensure safety, RPF officials have been holding surprise inspections. As of February 17, 2023, the Chennai Division of RPF had prosecuted 18 offenders. The Chennai division has been counselling people about the repercussions of stone pelting on passenger safety. In a press release, the Chennai division emphasised that apart from stepping up vigil, the department has been involved in counselling people about the repercussions of stone pelting on passenger safety.