Timely detection of loosened fish plates, allegedly done by two men, on a railway track near here averted a tragedy, police said on Monday.
The fish plates of tracks between Choral and Kalakund, some 35 km from Indore, were found loose on Sunday evening after villagers informed police that they spotted two unidentified men tampering with the tracks, they said.
"Some people noticed two men unscrewing the fish plates (a bolted metal bar used to join tracks) between Choral and Kalakund last night and passed on the information to the police," Additional Superintendent of Police, (Rural ) P Shukla said.
"Two fish plates were found unscrewed between a distance of 20 feet," the ASP said.
The suspected men fled the scene after villagers raised an alarm, police said.
The rail traffic on the route came to a halt for nearly three hours and three trains were detained and left for their destinations late following the incident, West Railways Public Relation Officer Pradeep Sharma said.
Government Railway Police and the state police are investigating the case.