RPF forms special team, start patrolling after train engine hits stones on tracks in UP's Bairia
Ballia (UP) (PTI): A day after the engine of a train hit a stone placed on the railway track in the Bairia area here, the RPF has formed a special team to solve the case, and patrolling is being done on the rail route, an official said.
Circle Officer (Bairia) Mohammad Usman said that it is to be investigated if the incident is a conspiracy or mischief.
Railway Protection Force Commandant S Ramakrishnan on Sunday told PTI that it appears that some mischievous elements have placed stones on the railway track. A special team has been formed to solve this case. Along with this, patrolling is being done on the rail route. RPF and the local police are working together.
He added that this case will be solved soon.
Meanwhile, Circle Officer (Bairia) Mohammad Usman, after visiting the spot, told PTI that after getting information about the incident, the RPF Assistant Commandant along with police officials inspected the spot.
Usman said that in the initial investigation, it had come to light that the stones found on the spot appeared to be the stones of the railway track itself. These stones have not been brought from anywhere else. Whether this incident is a conspiracy or mischief, this matter is being investigated thoroughly.
When asked whether some of the boulders that were dropped to protect the Manjhi bridge from river erosion had been placed on the railway track by some mischievous elements or persons, Usman said that it is not possible to take the boulders placed on National Highway number 31 to the railway track. The railway track is at a height where it is not possible to take any vehicle.
The engine of a train hit a stone placed on the railway track in the Bairia area here on Saturday, officials said, adding that no damage was caused.
The incident assumes significance as it was a fresh one amid several cases of gas cylinders, pillars etc being found on railway tracks in Uttar Pradesh.
Public Relations Officer of the North Eastern Railway Ashok Kumar on Saturday told PTI that a stone was found on the railway track between the Varanasi-Ballia-Chhapra rail section at 10.25 am.
Kumar had said that on seeing the stone placed on the track, the loco pilot applied emergency brakes.
Meanwhile, in another incident on Saturday, a 16-year-old boy has been apprehended for allegedly putting a fencing pillar on the Banda-Mahoba rail track, causing disruptions, police said. The driver of the passenger train had to apply emergency brakes to stop the train after he noticed a concrete pillar on the tracks, police said.
On September 22, two people were arrested in connection with the alleged derailment bid of the Naini Jan Shatabdi Express by placing a six-metre-long iron pole on track between the Bilaspur Road and Rudrapur City railway stations on September 18 in Rampur, police said.
On September 8, an attempt was made to derail the Kalindi Express, heading towards Bhiwani from Prayagraj, by placing an LPG cylinder on the tracks. The train hit the cylinder before coming to a screeching halt.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Punjab: Blast near army cantt area in Amritsar, hours after explosion in Jalandhar
Chandigarh (PTI): An explosion occurred near the army cantonment area in Khasa late Tuesday night in Punjab's Amritsar, the second such incident which took place around three hours after a blast outside the headquarters of the Border Security Force's Punjab Frontier in Jalandhar.
According to the police, an investigation into both blast incidents is currently underway, and no injuries have been reported.
The first explosion happened around 8 pm in Jalandhar, while the second blast occurred at approximately 11 pm in Amritsar.
Amritsar (Rural) Senior Superintendent of Police Suhail Mir Qasim stated that police received reports of a loud sound at around 11 pm on a road in Khasa. "Our teams arrived on the scene immediately," he said.
Preliminary inspections indicated that someone had thrown an explosive device towards the boundary wall, leading to the explosion, according to the SSP.
ALSO READ: Trump pauses Project Freedom, claims great progress for final agreement with Iran
Police mentioned that a piece of a tin sheet covering the boundary wall had fallen as a result of the blast.
Following the explosion, a team of forensic and bomb disposal squad visited the site to collect samples.
Amritsar Rural Superintendent of Police Aditya S. Warrier, who also visited the scene, confirmed that further investigations are ongoing. Police added that a team of army officials also assessed the situation, after which the area was cordoned off.
CCTV footage from the vicinity shows the explosion occurring at night. A local villager reported that his family was awakened by the loud sound and came outside their home to see what had happened.
Before the Amritsar explosion, a blast took place outside the headquarters of the Border Security Force's Punjab Frontier in Jalandhar district around 8 pm on Tuesday, causing panic in the area.
CCTV footage captured the explosion, which resulted in a cloud of smoke. An unidentified man was seen running for cover following the blast.
The blast ripped apart a scooter, damaged a traffic signal pole and windowpanes of a nearby shop. Locals recounted that the scooter, which was parked outside the BSF headquarters, Punjab Frontier, caught fire shortly after a loud sound. It belonged to Gurpreet Singh, who regularly delivers parcels in the area.
Talking to reporters on Tuesday night, one of Gurpreet's relatives said that the scooter caught fire as he was approaching it. He immediately called his father and informed him about the incident.
Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur confirmed to reporters late Tuesday that an Activa scooter parked near the gate caught fire suddenly. She stated that Gurpreet is fully cooperating with the investigation.
Witnesses nearby reported hearing a loud sound following the explosion.
On April 27, an explosion occurred at a freight corridor rail track in Shambhu in Patiala. Police had arrested four members of a pro-Khalistan terror module, backed by Pakistan's ISI, for the blast.
In light of these incidents, opposition parties have condemned the AAP government for its handling of the situation.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal criticised Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who also holds the home portfolio, over the recent blasts.
"Three blasts in 10 days, two in a single day, May 5: Jalandhar outside BSF headquarters and Sri Amritsar Sahib Army area, April 27: Rajpura rail track. Continued intelligence failures and the collapse of law and order are a matter of grave concern. Chief Minister @BhagwantMann, who is also the state Home Minister, is busy with mimicry and cheap politics. He has forfeited the right to remain in office," Badal said in a post on X.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also slammed the Mann government over the two blasts.
"Back-to-back blasts have shaken Punjab. Yesterday in Jalandhar, and now near Khasa Camp in Amritsar, this is deeply alarming. Who is trying to destabilise our state? Why has the Punjab Government failed to prevent such incidents? What is the Government of India doing? Repeated lapses point to a serious breakdown of intelligence and security. Punjab's peace cannot be compromised. We demand accountability and immediate action," Warring said in a post on X.
