Bhubaneswar: East Coast Railway (ECoR) on Sunday cautioned people against the dangerous and unlawful practice of making social media reels or stunt videos on railway tracks, which pose severe risks to life and safety.
In a statement, ECoR said that on July 5 an information received with an audio-video clip from a reliable source. The video showed one person lying on railway track’s concrete sleepers while a train chugs on the track. Immediate action was taken by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) at Balangir and a team rushed to Purnapani Station and informed the local Baunsuni Police Station.
A joint inquiry by RPF and local police along with the villagers, led to the identification of the children involved from a village near Purnapani. It was found that a 12-year-old adolescent of a village under Baunsuni police station in Boudh district had gone to the railway track on June 29 along with his friend, where he performed life-threatening stunts lying on the track while his friend aged around 15 years recorded the video.
The RPF team, accompanied by villagers and the parents/guardians of the children, visited the incident spot located between Purnapani and Jharmunda Railway Stations. After necessary formalities, the children, along with their parents/guardians, were taken to the RPF Post at Balangir for legal action. A case was registered against both minors under Sections 153, 145(b), and 147 of the Railways Act, 1989, it said.
Further legal proceedings are being carried out in accordance with the Juvenile Justice Act (JJ Act), under the supervision of their parents/guardians.
Strict Warning & Continued Awareness
ECoR reiterated that such acts are not only illegal but can also result in fatal accidents. Railway tracks are no place for stunts or social media content creation. Trespassing on tracks for entertainment puts lives at extreme risk and disrupts railway operations.
Railways has been consistently conducting safety campaigns at stations, educational institutions, nearby villages of Rail Line and through digital and print media to raise awareness about the dangers of such activities.
Railway appeals to all citizens, especially parents and teachers, to counsel children against such reckless acts. Social media fame is not worth risking life and personal safety.
