Bengaluru: Stone pelting at trains worries RPF

Hyderabad: Instances of stone pelting may be low and isolated, but the trend is worrying the Railway Protection forces in the city who are trying to find the mischief mongers causing damage to railway property and human life. 

Just last month, an Assistant Loco Pilot was injured by a rogue stone causing minor injury to his head. “The train was slow and I opened the door to check the signal when a stone came and hit me on my head, from behind,” says Mukesh Agarwal, an assistant loco pilot of a goods train with South Central Railways.

Instances of stone pelting are not uncommon for loco pilots, who regularly navigate through various routes of Hyderabad. In fact, just last week the Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Sanath Nagar Circle made arrests, charging one person with stone pelting.

Reports suggest most culprits involved are minors who engage in the act without knowing its implications. “It’s not organised crime, but it is punishable under the Railway Act with even life imprisonment as punishment,” said an official of RPF. 

Instances like these were seen across all rail routes, specifically from Borabanda, Fatehnagar, Lingampally to Falknuma, Malakpet and Dabirpura. “Nearing Hamaguda, even beer bottles are flung on the trains,” said Mr Mukesh. 

The act also causes damage to railway property. “The glass of an AC coach was damaged last month,” said an official from Kachiguda RPF. 

Though two organisations, the RPF and Government Railway Police, are in charge of ensuring safety of railway lines,  coordinated action is missing. 

The GRP is a state organisation responsible for protecting the passengers while Railway Protection Force’s jurisdiction is  protection of property and solving theft-related issues. 

The GRP surprisingly said, no such cases had taken place. Though this year no major casualities were reported, last year a man lost his eye in this sort of  freak accident. The case is still under trial. 

RPF from the areas say they have taken due measures to prevent such events but manning a 48 km railway line at all times becomes a tough task. 

In certain areas of Falaknuma where the railway line lies close to residential areas, no boundary walls secure the tracks. 

The RPF has currently undertaken awareness programmes in the areas affected by informing the implications of the act. Stones thrown at fast moving trains could injure passengers and and damage train property.