E-Paper
Persistent Threat: Lucknow-Gorakhpur Vande Bharat Express endures fifth stone assault
During the attack, the glass window of the C-4 coach sustained damage. More than 400 passengers were aboard the train.
LUCKNOW The Gorakhpur-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express was targeted with stones on Friday morning, according to officials. This is the fifth such instance since its inauguration on July 7 this year by Prime Minister Modi in Gorakhpur.
The stones were hurled by unidentified assailants as the semi-high-speed train traversed Malhaur railway station. During the attack, the glass window of the C-4 coach sustained damage. Reportedly, more than 400 passengers were aboard the train.
Rekha Sharma, senior divisional commercial manager of Northern Railway’s Lucknow division, said, “A case has been registered against an unidentified individual under Section 153 (endangering the safety of persons travelling by railway) and 147 (trespassing without lawful authority) of the Railway Act at the Railway Protection Force outpost in Malhaur.”
Sharma further added, “Information regarding the stone-attack incident was received at the Security Control in Lucknow. Subsequently, SK Singh, Inspector in-charge of the RPF, along with other officials, arrived at Malhore station and conducted a search inside the train. The case is under investigation, led by assistant sub-inspector Saudan Singh, with ongoing efforts to gather information from special informers.”
PREVIOUS INCIDENTS
July 11: Stones were thrown at the Vande Bharat Express near Sohawal station in Ayodhya, resulting in damage to several window panes. Munnu Paswan and his two sons, Ajay and Vijay, were arrested and revealed that they had thrown stones out of anger as the train had struck their goats grazing on the track.
July 17: Stones were hurled at the train near Domingarh railway station. The glass near seat numbers 13 and 14 of Executive Coach E One (EC) was shattered during the incident.
August 3: The glass of the Vande Bharat Express, parked in the washing yard of Gorakhpur Junction, was shattered. It was revealed that a porter named Hemraj Prajapati had thrown the stone and was subsequently arrested.
August 6: A few individuals attacked the train with stones near Safedabad railway station in Barabanki, resulting in the breakage of two glasses in one of the coaches.
