Alappuzha: The ‘happy’ train journey in Kerala often becomes a nightmare for many passengers who fall victims to stone-pelting by anti-social elements. The Alappuzha-Cherthala and Kayamkulam-Ambalappuzha routes are the worst-hit by such incidents which are on the increase.
The other day, Sivankutty Nair, 54, an ex-serviceman from Pathiyoor near Kayamkulam, lost three teeth in stone-pelting near Karuvatta here while he was travelling by the Ernakulam-Kollam MEMU train around 11. 30 p.m. Nair, a security guard in Kochi FCI, was returning home when the incident happened. He was later admitted to the Alappuzha Medical College.
The Railway Protection Force and the police are groping in the dark about the culprits.
The RPF personnel say the victims are unable to identify the exact place of occurrence as they happen in moving train. If a passenger is hit, the train will be stopped only many kilometres away from the spot. Hence the culprits easily escape.
The crimes are investigated by the local police. However, the RPF keeps a vigil at the vulnerable stretches and conduct awareness programmes for the local people and school children in the areas. The trackman and local people are also instructed to keep children away from the tracks.
Since 2014, as many as 35 incidents were reported and 20 passengers, including eight women, were injured. Only one person was arrested in this connection.
On February 2, 2015, stones were thrown at the same Ernakulam-Kollam MEMU train as it passed through Kumbalam near here at 8.15 p.m. On December 27 the same year, a woman passenger, who was travelling in the Thiruvananthapuram- Indore Express, was injured by a stone at Punnapara. But the police have failed to catch the criminals.
Stretches like Ernakulam-Angamaly, Thiruvananthapuram-Kollam, Kollam-Kayamkulam, Changanassery-Kottayam and Nanganeri-Melapalayam are also vulnerable.
