Stone pelted on Vande Bharat Express in Bihar AGAIN, 56 incidents reported under NFR in 2022

As per a report on ANI, an incident of stone pelting on Howrah-New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express was reported on January 20, 2023. As per ANI, RPF, Katihar Division confirmed that the Escort party of 22302 Down Vande Bharat Express informed that passenger sitting on berth no.70 in coach 6 of the train informed the RPF of stone pelting while crossing Dalkhola-Telta railway station. This spot comes under Balrampur in Katihar, Bihar. The window pane of one of the coaches of the high- speed train was damaged, police said on Saturday.

The right side glass window of a coach of the 22302 down Vande Bharat Express was reported damaged. The incident reportedly took place between Dalkhola and the Telta railway stations at about 04.25 pm on Friday. The right side window glass of coach no C-6 sustained damages. The matter was reported to the Railway Police Dalkhola which has sent a probe team to conduct an on-the-spot investigation.

The train began its journey from New Jalpaiguri at 3.05 PM with final destination Howrah at 10.35 PM. Earlier, on January 12 three persons were arrested in Vishakapatnam in connection with alleged stone pelting incident on the new Vande Bharat Express train, the police said. On January 2, stones were also pelted at the train connecting Howrah to New Jalpaiguri, within just four days after its launch.

Window panes of the Vande Bharat Express were broken as stones were thrown at the train connecting Howrah to New Jalpaiguri near Malda. On January 3, two window panes of the Vande Bharat Express train were left damaged after stones were allegedly pelted on the two coaches near the Phansidewa area of Darjeeling.

Over 50 incidents of stone pelting were reported under the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) in 2022, and an "intensified" awareness drive has been launched in the wake of multiple reports of stone throwing on the new Vande Bharat Express, an official said.

An NFR statement said 56 incidents of stone pelting were reported under it in 2022, while three such instances have been reported till January 17. Three persons have so far been arrested this year in connection with such incidents, it said.

"Stone pelting on trains happens routinely. We conduct awareness programmes among people to not be involved in such activities as these are criminal offences under the Railway Act," the NFR official, who requested anonymity, said.

"We have launched an intensified drive to create awareness about the issue, especially after multiple incidents of stone pelting on the Vande Bharat Express in recent times," he said.

"Pelting stones or similar objects on trains is a criminal offence under sections 152, 153 and 154 prescribed in the Railway Act. The offender shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend up to 10 years," the NFR statement said.

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) conducts surprise checks at vulnerable locations and takes legal action against offenders to curb the menace, it added.

With agencies inputs