On September 18, a potential railway disaster was narrowly averted in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, when miscreants placed an iron pillar on the tracks just before a train approached. Thanks to the alertness and quick thinking of the loco pilot, a major accident was avoided. Since then, the police have been investigating the case and have now arrested two individuals responsible for placing the pillar.
The police have identified and arrested two men, Sunny alias Sandeep Chauhan and Bijendra alias Tinku, residents of Bilaspur. During interrogation, they confessed to placing the iron pillar on the track but claimed it was not part of any conspiracy. According to their statement, they were attempting to steal the iron pillar when they heard the train approaching. Panic-stricken, they abandoned the pillar on the track and fled. The police confirmed that both suspects are drug addicts and were intoxicated during the incident. They had no intention of derailing the train, but their reckless actions could have resulted in a catastrophe.
The police have ruled out any conspiracy to derail the train or connections to any organization. However, they revealed that both suspects have criminal records. Sunny has a dozen cases registered against him, while Bijendra has one. Both individuals have now been remanded to jail. On the night of the incident, the train driver spotted the six-meter-long iron pole on the tracks between Bilaspur and Rudrapur City stations and applied the emergency brakes just in time. This swift action prevented what could have been a significant disaster. During the investigation, it was revealed that Sunny and Bijendra had been consuming alcohol near the railway track and had tried to steal the pole in a drunken state.
