The Railway Protection Force (RPF) has arrested a man named Firoz Khan (20) for damaging the Bhopal-Delhi Vande Bharat Express in Madhya Pradesh's Morena district, an official said on Monday. A glass window of the Bhopal-Delhi Vande Bharat Express train was damaged after he threw stones at it in Morena district. The incident took place at around 10 am on Sunday near Banmore railway station and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) has arrested a man in this connection, Gwalior's RPF inspector Sanjay Kumar Arya said.
As per a report on ANI, the window of the Rani Kamalapti-Hazrat Nizamuddin Vande Bharat train got damaged and the incident created panic among the passengers. After examining the CCTV footage, the police arrested a man, identified as Firoz Khan (20), on Sunday night in connection with the stone-pelting and booked him under provisions of the Railways Act, the official said.
During interrogation, the accused "admitted" to have committed the offence, the office confirmed. This is not the first time stones have been pelted on the Bhopal-Delhi Vande Bharat Express, which happens to be the fastest train in India.
According to a report on IANS, there was a stone pelting incident on the Bhopal-Delhi Vande Bharat Express in July as well. The incident happened between Mania and Jajau stations of Agra Railway Division and the window glass of seat number 13-14 of the C-7 coach was broken.
Since 2019, the Railways has suffered a loss of more than Rs 55 lakh due to damage caused by stone pelting on Vande Bharat trains, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Parliament recently. In a reply to a query in Lok Sabha, Vaishnaw said that in response to such incidents, 151 persons involved in stone pelting have been arrested.
No incident leading to the loss of life of a passenger or theft or damage to a passenger's belongings has been reported, he said. "Some incidents of stone pelting incidents have been reported on Vande Bharat trains. During the years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 (up to June), Indian Railways suffered losses of Rs 55.60 lakh due to damage caused to Vande Bharat trains in the incidents of stone pelting," he said.
Vaishnaw said that in order to safeguard the lives of passengers and damage to railway property against vandalism, the RPF, in coordination with GRP/District police and civil administration, is conducting OPERATION SATHI in inhabited areas adjacent to railway tracks to sensitise people against stone pelting and its consequences.
