Two held in Jan Shatabdi derailment bid near Uttarakhand's Rudrapur

Rampur (UP): Two people have been arrested in connection with the alleged derailment bid of the Naini Jan Shatabdi Express by placing six-metre-long iron pole on track between Bilaspur Road and Rudrapur City railway stations on September 18 here, police said.

The driver of the Naini Jan Shatabdi Express on Wednesday averted a possible accident when he slammed the emergency brakes on finding an iron pole across the tracks near Uttarakhand's Rudrapur, officials said, alleging that it could be sabotage.

The incident occurred near Rudrapur City Railway Station, approximately 43 kilometres from Uttar Pradesh's Rampur, Railway officials said.

DSP Railways, Moradabad, Anil Kumar Verma on Sunday said, “A case in this regard was registered at the GRP police station in Rampur, and a team was formed to investigate. Today, Sunny alias Sania alias Sandeep Chauhan and Bijender alias Tinku, both residents of Rampur district, were nabbed." While Sunny was arrested from Rudrapur, Bijender was nabbed from Bilaspur.

During interrogation, it was found that the duo often went there to drink alcohol. That day, they got drunk and attempted to steal a pole lying there, he said.

While they were carrying that pole, they heard the horn and saw lights of the train, following which they left the pole on the tracks and ran away, Verma said.

He said, "There was no intention. There is no (link to an) organisation and neither are they from any module." Fourteen cases are registered against Sunny in Bilaspur police station and Bijender has been booked under one case. No other conspiracy has been revealed behind this, the CO said.

A potential train accident was averted in Rampur after the loco pilot of the Naini Jan Shatabdi Express spotted an iron pole on the tracks and applied emergency brakes, with officials alleging it could be an act of sabotage.

"On September 18 at 10.18 pm, the loco pilot of train number 12091 reported to Station Master/Rudrapur City that he found one 6-metre-long iron pole on track between Bilaspur Road and Rudrapur City," a spokesperson from the Railway Ministry said suggesting an act of sabotage.

"The driver stopped the train to clear the track. He started the train safely afterwards," the spokesperson said.