Ballasts placed on railway track near Thokkottu

Mangaluru: Unidentified individuals are suspected of putting track ballasts on the railway track near the overbridge at Thokkottu, causing loud noises when two trains passed over them on Saturday. Residents informed the railway police and Ullal police after they heard loud noises and felt vibrations when trains passed. Residents noticed crushed ballasts near the track after the trains passed.
An official from Southern Railway said that the incident was reported at around 8.30pm on Saturday."Track ballasts were placed on the rail by some unidentified persons. Residents heard a loud noise when the stones were crushed under the wheels of Murdeshwar-Kacheguda Express. The teams of railway police and protection forces rushed to the spot immediately. They also found stones crushed by the side of the tracks. Following this, we have enhanced the night patrolling," the official said.
The railway teams also created awareness campaigns in the area to prevent such instances in future, the officer said adding that no case has been registered.
Meanwhile, Mangaluru City South MLA D Vedavyas Kamath suspected the incident as an attempt to derail a train. "The incident where intruders placed several stones on the railway tracks near Thokkottu between Mangaluru and Kerala, attempting to derail a train, is a matter of grave concern. The Congress govt and the police department should take this issue seriously. Due to the train running over the stones placed on the tracks, a significant vibration was felt, causing nearby residents to experience the sensation of a train derailment. Upon immediate inspection, it was found that several stones were crushed to powder on the tracks, as reported by locals," Kamath stated.
A few months ago, in Kasaragod, there were destructive acts of placing stones, iron rods and concrete pieces on the tracks to derail trains. Now, similar misdeeds have started in Mangaluru, creating a tense atmosphere, the MLA said.
"Recently, Pakistan-inspired terrorist organisations have issued threats to derail trains across India, and attempts have been made to derail trains in various parts of the country. Sleeper cells of terrorists are operating in different parts of the state, and in line with this, illegal infiltrators from Pakistan and Bangladesh have been caught in the coastal and state regions. All these incidents are interconnected," he said, demanding a thorough investigation.