Daijiworld Media Network - Nagpur
Nagpur, Sep 26: Windows of three coaches of the Nagpur-Mumbai CSMT Duronto Express were damaged after stones were allegedly thrown at the moving train near Borkhedi in Maharashtra’s Wardha district on Thursday night. No passenger was injured in the incident, railway authorities said.
The stone-pelting was reported at around 8.27 pm on September 25 after Train No. 12290 passed Borkhedi station. Window glasses of coaches A-1, B-2 and B-5 were cracked after an object or stone struck them from outside.
The Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) were informed at around 8.46 pm and conducted a search along the Borkhedi-Sindi section between kilometre 803 and 796. Nearby areas, including Borkhedi and Brahmani villages, were also checked, while the Police Patil and local residents were questioned.
However, no suspicious person or concrete evidence was found during the search. Escort staff and passengers confirmed that an object or stone had struck the windows from outside. Further investigation is underway to establish the exact location from where the stone was thrown and identify those responsible.
The incident comes amid repeated railway appeals against stone pelting on moving trains. Southern Railway had earlier warned that such acts can shatter window panes and cause serious or permanent injuries to passengers, including children and senior citizens.
Under Section 152 of the Railways Act, 1989, unlawfully throwing a stone or other object at rolling stock with the intent or knowledge that it could endanger passengers can attract imprisonment for life or imprisonment of up to 10 years. Section 153 separately covers wilful acts that endanger the safety of railway passengers.
Indian Railways has said it is taking legal action against offenders and has intensified preventive measures, including patrolling at vulnerable locations, coordination between the RPF and local police and awareness programmes in areas adjoining railway tracks.
Earlier this year, Southern Railway also strengthened patrolling and surveillance in vulnerable locations and urged parents, teachers and social activists living near railway tracks to sensitise children and youth about the consequences of stone pelting. The public has been asked to report suspicious activity near railway tracks through railway helpline 139.