DHARMAPURI: In a serious development, the Dharmapuri railway police are on the lookout for miscreants who placed cement slabs on the railway track on Friday in a suspected bid to derail the Dadar express train.
Police said, around 12.45 am on Friday, the Dadar express bound for Mumbai from Tirunelveli via Kerala rammed against an object placed on the railway track at Karuvalli village, near Thoppur in Salem district.
The engine driver found cement debris and reported the incident to the stationmaster in Thoppur. The train was stopped in Thoppur station and checked for any damages, before it was allowed to move.
According to the railway police, the miscreants had placed cement slabs on the railway track for reasons yet unknown. “More than five cement slabs were placed on the track on which an express train was heading towards Thoppur railway station in its journey to Dadar in Mumbai,” K.Kothandapani, sub-inspector of the Dharmapuri railway police told DC.
He further said, “the engine driver after noticing the object on the track had slowed the train, but the cow catcher in the train rammed against the object before the train stopped at that place.”
The cement slabs measuring 1-ft wide, 4-ft long and 3 inches thick was used for the incident. The cement slabs were apparently kept at the place after removing a trolley (Inspection vehicle) off the track. A case has been registered and special teams have been formed to nab the criminals.
