E-Paper
Train from Jammu evacuated in Punjab after bomb threat; 1 held in W Bengal for hoax call
Passengers evacuated after train was stopped at Kasu Beghu station, 10km from Ferozepur; police conduct search amid high alert; threat found to be hoax, caller traced to West Bengal.
A bomb threat was reported on the Jammu Tawi-Bhagat Ki Kothi Express (train number 19226) near Ferozepur on Tuesday morning, prompting immediate action by security forces, including the Punjab Police and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) amid high alert in the region. Six hours later, the threat was found to be a hoax and the caller was traced and detained in West Bengal in the afternoon.
After security clearance, the train resumed its onward journey at 1.50pm.
The threat was communicated around 7.30am via the Rail Madad app, using a mobile number registered in West Bengal. The app allows passengers to lodge complaints and check the status of their complaints in real time.
As a precautionary measure, the train was stopped at Kasu Beghu station, 10km from Ferozepur. The train’s destination is Bhagat Ki Kothi station that is located near Jodhpur in Rajasthan.
Passengers were evacuated and a search for the explosive began. The services of a bomb disposal squad, fire brigade and medical teams were requisitioned at the site.
Ferozepur senior superintendent of police Saumya Mishra, SP (investigation) Randhir Kumar, RPF and Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel were at the spot. “We searched the train thoroughly but found nothing amiss. West Bengal Police zeroed in on the caller. The probe is on,” she said.
Passengers were provided meals at the Kasu Beghu station, railway authorities said.
Four trains were affected due to the unscheduled halt of the Jammu Tawi-Bhagat Ki Kothi Express.
The Gandhinagar-Jammu Tawi and Seoni-Ferozepur Cantt train that runs via Kotkapura, Muktsar, Fazilka, Jalalabad and Ferozepur Cantt were short-terminated. The Ferozepur Cantt-Bathinda was short-originated from Golehwala, while the Bathinda-Ferozepur Cantt train was short-terminated at Golehwala.
The bomb threat comes amid a rise in terrorist activity in Jammu and Kashmir.
