Throwing stones at Vande Bharat train will be punishable for 5 years, Railways warns
Vande Bharat Express: The Central Government has started Vande Bharat trains in many states of the country. Vande Bharat is getting better facilities as compared to other trains. However, despite all this, incidents of stone pelting on Vande Bharat trains have come to the fore at many places in the past. Railway has taken strict steps regarding this. South Central Railway (SCR) has warned that if anyone is found pelting stones at any other trains including Vande Bharat, he can be sentenced to 5 years in jail.
9 incidents of Vande Bharat trains being targeted came to the fore
The warning came after several incidents of stone pelting on Vande Bharat trains came to the fore from different places in Telangana. A press release from the South Central Railway said that some incidents took place in Kazipet, Khammam, Kazipet-Bhongir and Eluru-Rajahmundry. Vande Bharat trains have been targeted by miscreants in the recent past and there have been 9 such incidents. Apart from this, incidents of stone pelting have been reported on Vande Bharat Express in Telangana, Bihar, UP, Chhattisgarh etc since its inauguration in February 2019.
Stone pelting on trains is a criminal offense
South Central Railway further said that stone pelting on trains is a criminal offense and strict action will be taken against the culprits under Section 153 of the Railway Act. The culprits can also be sentenced to 5 years in jail. After registering several cases by the Railway Protection Force, 39 criminals have been arrested so far. SCR’s chief public relations officer CR Rakesh told news agency PTI that the Railway Protection Force (RPF) is also taking several preventive measures, including awareness campaigns and coordination with sarpanches of villages near the tracks and making them gram mitras. .
deployment of personnel in sensitive areas
SCR further said that personnel have also been deployed in all the sensitive areas prone to stone pelting. Earlier, several incidents of stone pelting have come to the fore on Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains as well. Vande Bharat is now being targeted in the last few times. On 11 March, stones were pelted at the Howrah-Newjalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express train, damaging the window panes of one of its coaches.
