COIMBATORE: A nightmare awaits loco pilots and train passengers on the 5km stretch from North Coimbatore to Peelamedu. Trains on this route have been pelted with stones at least five times in the past two months.
Two such incidents were reported on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, and an 80-year- old woman passenger on the Palakkad - Trichy passenger train was injured in Wednesday's incident. In an earlier incident, a railway ticketing checking inspector was injured. In most of the cases, the police have been clueless.
Government Railway Police have formed special patrols to catch the stone-throwing gangs that psychologists say may be suffering from impulse control disorder (ICD).
Around 6pm on Wednesday, the Palakkad - Trichy train was crossing the Peelamedu area when stones came showering down on the train. One of the stones hit T Chellammal, a passenger from Thanjavur, and she suffered injuries on her face, police said. She, however, did not file an official complaint.
Around 12.30am on Thursday, the S2 coach of the Ernakulam-Yeshwanthpur Express was hit by stones on the Brookebond Road - Coimbatore stretch. The stones bounced off the body of the train and no passenger was injured in the incident. A ticket checking inspector sitting by an emergency window of the Kannur - Yeshwanthpur express near Peelamedu was not so lucky. A projectile stone left a gash on his head. He was admitted to a hospital. Based on his complaint, GRP registered a case. Last month, a stone smashed the head lamp of a locomotive. Another set of criminals struck at the women's compartment of Coimbatore-Nagercoil Express on October 8. Two men travelling on the foot board of the compartment snatched a gold chain from a woman.
GRP deputy superintendent of police Kumaraesan told TOI that it has been reported to him that people often sit on the tracks, drinking in the night hours. When the locomotive pilot sounds the horn, the drunks move out of the tracks and throw stones at the train.
"We have identified five liquor outlets within 60m of the railway track at Peelamedu, North Coimbatore, Mettupalayam and Singanallur areas. We have sent letter to the district administration to close the outlets located near the tracks," said DSP Kumaresan.
Two such incidents were reported on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, and an 80-year- old woman passenger on the Palakkad - Trichy passenger train was injured in Wednesday's incident. In an earlier incident, a railway ticketing checking inspector was injured. In most of the cases, the police have been clueless.
Government Railway Police have formed special patrols to catch the stone-throwing gangs that psychologists say may be suffering from impulse control disorder (ICD).
Around 6pm on Wednesday, the Palakkad - Trichy train was crossing the Peelamedu area when stones came showering down on the train. One of the stones hit T Chellammal, a passenger from Thanjavur, and she suffered injuries on her face, police said. She, however, did not file an official complaint.
Around 12.30am on Thursday, the S2 coach of the Ernakulam-Yeshwanthpur Express was hit by stones on the Brookebond Road - Coimbatore stretch. The stones bounced off the body of the train and no passenger was injured in the incident. A ticket checking inspector sitting by an emergency window of the Kannur - Yeshwanthpur express near Peelamedu was not so lucky. A projectile stone left a gash on his head. He was admitted to a hospital. Based on his complaint, GRP registered a case. Last month, a stone smashed the head lamp of a locomotive. Another set of criminals struck at the women's compartment of Coimbatore-Nagercoil Express on October 8. Two men travelling on the foot board of the compartment snatched a gold chain from a woman.
GRP deputy superintendent of police Kumaraesan told TOI that it has been reported to him that people often sit on the tracks, drinking in the night hours. When the locomotive pilot sounds the horn, the drunks move out of the tracks and throw stones at the train.
"We have identified five liquor outlets within 60m of the railway track at Peelamedu, North Coimbatore, Mettupalayam and Singanallur areas. We have sent letter to the district administration to close the outlets located near the tracks," said DSP Kumaresan.
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