Chakradharpur rlys to up patrolling to curb stone pelting cases

Jamshedpur: Chakradharpur division railway officials, in association with the local police, would increase patrolling on tracks to thwart cases of stone pelting on train, officials said.
A total of three cases of stone-pelting have occurred between Ghatsila and Manoharpur railway stations on the Howrah-Mumbai railway route in the past four months. Out of the three, two cases have been reported in the past six days. Vande Bharat express trains were the targets in both.
Senior divisional commercial manager, Chakradhapur, Aditya Chaudhary, said, "A drive will be launched to educate people about the consequences of pelting stones on the trains from Thursday. The Railway Police Force (RPF), Government Railway Police (GRP) and local police will hold camps at the villages, during which the panchayat heads, elderly people, and youths will be made aware that stone pelting is a crime."
"Minors hurl stones at running trains for adventure," said an official at RPF Tatanagar post.
Further, joint patrolling with GRP will be conducted, particularly during the night hours to keep tabs on the suspected elements and avert stone pelting. Strategic locations on the Ghatsila-Manoharpur section would be identified for installation of CCTV cameras. The RPF guards traveling on trains would respond quickly in event of stone pelting, according to the safety and security plan drawn by the Chakradharpur division.
Pelting of stones and other foreign objects on running trains possess serious threats and endangers the safety of the passengers. Such acts are punishable under the Section 153 of The Railways Act, 1989 and will lead to punishment with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years, said Kharagpur divisional railway on Wednesday.
On January 21, window panes of C-2 and D-4 AC compartments of the Howrah-Tatanagar Steel Express were shattered after miscreants threw stones at the train between Galudih-Rakha Mines. No injury was reported to the passengers on board. Railway security forces recovered four stones chips, each weighing about 2kgs.
Sources in the RPF said two people were detained by Ghatsila RPF personnel from Jaduguda police station limits on Wednesday. "Thorough investigation is under way. RPF will deal strictly with the miscreants," said Abhishek Singhal, the area railway manager of Tatanagar.
On January 18, one Jugal Koda (47) was arrested by Chakradharpur RPF personnel for pelting stones at the Rourkela-Howrah Vande Bharat Express near Posita railway station in Manoharpur of West Singhbhum a day earlier. No injury was reported to the passengers traveling on the train but a window pane was damaged.
On October 27, unidentified people pelted stones on the Berhampur-Tatanagar Vande Bharat express at Dangoaposi railway station in West Singhbhum. None of the passengers was hurt but a window pane was damaged.