Kishanganj (Bihar): Bihar police on Thursday held three minors allegedly involved in stone pelting on Vande Bharat Express train in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri, officials said. The stone pelters were identified after examining the CCTV footage of the train. Eastern Railways zeroed in on the stone pelters and legal action is being taken against them.
Kishanganj SP Dr. Enamul Haq Menganu said that "after the police were informed by railway officials, they initiated an investigation and on the basis of CCTV footage four boys were seen pelting stones at the train. Out of these four accused, three minors have been taken into police custody. All have been sent for presentation before the Juvenile Justice Council."
The SP further said that the search for the fourth minor is on. On the other hand, SP Menganu has appealed to the residents of the district not to damage public or government property. Two stone pelting incidents on the train were reported on Monday and Tuesday in Malda's Kumarganj and Jalpaiguri respectively.
The stone pelting incidents in which a glass door and two windows were damaged came on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagging off Bengal’s first Vande Bharat Express from Howrah to New Jalpaiguri on December 30. The train began its regular service on January 1. Sources said a stone pelting incident also took place at Magurjan in Bihar. The RPF DIG of the Kathiar Division is likely to visit the spot today.
Also read:West Bengal: Stones pelted at Vande Bharat Express for the second time in less than 24 hours
CCTV footage showed several people huddled on both sides of the track before climbing onto a bridge with stones in their hands and subsequently hurling them at the running train. Sources said the incident took place at Magurjan in Bihar at 12.35 pm. The country's first semi-high-speed train was flagged off on December 30 and stones were pelted at the train for two consecutive days on January 2 and 3 since it started its operation.
Once at New Jalpaiguri station, the C-3 and C-6 coaches of Vande Bharat Express were damaged and the glass was broken on January 2. The second instance was near Maldar Kumarganj station the very next day. As a result, the windows and doors of the C-13 coach were broken. However, after the incident, Eastern Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Eklavya Chakraborty informed that the number of Railway Police (RP) has been increased at each station. Security has been beefed up, especially at the stations where the incidents took place. It is said, "Trains belong to us. Railways are national assets. Therefore, it is our responsibility to protect the railways. Stone pelting on trains is a punishable offence," he warned.
