Cement blocks placed on railway tracks in Solapur, major tragedy averted
Cement blocks placed on railway tracks in Solapur, major tragedy averted
September 11, 2024
In a series of incidents targeting trains that have stunned many, the most recent disclosure involves a scheme to derail a freight train in Maharashtra. There was another attempt to sabotage a freight train in Solapur, Maharashtra, by placing a large cement block on the railway tracks. The cement block was placed approximately one kilometer away from Kurduwadi station in the district. Thankfully, a potential disaster was avoided due to the quick thinking of the train’s driver. Subsequently, the Railway’s Senior Section Engineer lodged a complaint at the local police station, and an ongoing investigation is in progress.
The troublemakers placed the block on the tracks between 7:50 PM and 8:30 PM, as per reports. The maintenance team working on the tracks was the first to notice the cement block and promptly informed railway authorities. The Government Railway Police (GRP) in Kurduwadi has initiated an inquiry into the incident. Officials mentioned that there were no CCTV cameras in the area where the block was placed. In response to the event, the GRP has requested the railway administration to install fencing along both sides of the track and to set up long-range CCTV cameras at the railway station to bolster security.
An effort to disrupt the Bhiwani-Prayagraj Kalindi Express occurred in Kanpur when individuals placed an LPG cylinder, a bottle of petrol, and matchboxes on the tracks. Similarly, a previous attempt was made to derail the Ahmedabad-Jodhpur Vande Bharat Express in Rajasthan’s Pali district.
In another incident, there was an endeavor to derail a loaded goods train in Rajasthan’s Ajmer district by placing two cement blocks on the tracks of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor. The goods train encountered the blocks between Saradhna and Bangad stations on Sunday night, but fortunately, no significant incident transpired. A case has been filed, and the matter is currently under investigation, according to a Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation (DFCC) official.
In the recent developments surrounding the attempted derailment of the Kalindi Express, indications of potential involvement of an ISIS Khorasan module have surfaced. Initial investigations into the plot to derail the train in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, have revealed connections to terrorism, with the main suspect believed to be a self-radicalized individual possibly linked to ISIS’s Khorasan branch.
Moreover, various investigative bodies have gathered footage from 219 cameras and interviewed over 100 individuals regarding the Kanpur train derailment plot. Currently, 12 individuals are in custody and undergoing interrogation. Additionally, the Kanpur police have reached out to three gas cylinder agencies to track the cylinder’s delivery using its unique serial number.
