Karnataka: 3,000 miss police exam as train engine diverted for rescue operation

HUBBALLI: South Western Railway (SWR), Hubballi, reportedly used the engine of a passenger train to push a goods train after the latter’s engine failed at Mugad on Saturday midnight. The passenger train, Rani Chennamma Express (16590), was delayed by more than seven hours, leaving in the lurch 3,000 of its passengers who were to appear for a police exam.

The train was scheduled to arrive in Bengaluru at 7am and the exam was at 10am. Following the midnight rescue act, the train reached Hubballi at 6am. Angry candidates protested at the Hubballi railway office on Sunday morning soon after the train rolled in. As the MLA dialled the CMO, chief minister HD Kumaraswamy promised a reexamination would be held for those who missed the test.

Deepak Kasturi, a youth from Chikkodi who was to appear for the exam, told TOI: “Our train was stopped at Kambarganvi at 11.45pm. We thought there must be some crossing or a technical reason. After an hour, we realised our train had no engine.”

The engine was then pushing a goods train towards Hubballi, 30km away. The engine returned to the passenger train around 3.20am. “Our train started from Kambarganvi by 3.30am,” Kasturi said.

By then, more than 3,000 candidates, who were to appear for an exam for the post of constable in the District Armed Reserve Police force in Bengaluru, were a worried lot. “We reached Hubballi by 6am and realised that we can’t reach Bengaluru before 2pm, while our exams were scheduled at 10am. We demanded that SWR take responsibility and request the government to conduct a reexam,” Kasturi said.

Sachin Khot, 27, a candidate from Athani, said he had joined coaching for the constable’s test six months ago and spent Rs 40,000 to appear for the exam. “Now, my future is at stake as this is the last year that I can attempt the test for constable. I will cross the age limit next year,” he said.

‘No action against agitators’

E Vijaya, deputy general manager of SWR said no action will be taken against the protesters for hampering train services. “They acted out of fear of missing the exam. So, we have decided not to file any case,” he said.


Following the protest in Hubballi, railway officials collected details of the candidates to request the government to conduct a re-exam

‘Protest delayed train’
Divisional railway manager of Hubballi, SWR, Rajesh Mohan, said protests had delayed the train and had the examinees cooperated, the train would have made it to Bengaluru by 8.30am. “When the engine returned to Rani Chennamma Express by 1.08am, the candidates started an agitation, fearing they would miss the exam,” said Mohan. “They detained the train for three hours. They threw stones at the engine, endangering the lives of pilots, TTEs, guard and station staff. When we started the train by 3.55am, they kept pulling the alarm chain demanding postponement of the exam. It took one more hour to bring the train to Hubballi.”