Hyderabad: As incidents of stone pelting on Vande Bharat trains show no signs of abating, South Central Railway (SCR) issued a warning for miscreants.
SCR appealed to the public not to indulge in anti-social activities like stone-pelting on Vande Bharat trains or else face the possibility of five-year jail term, PTI reported.
In a press release, SCR said stone-pelting on trains is a criminal offence and stringent action will be taken against offenders under Section 153 of Railways Act, which is punishable with imprisonment up to 5 years.
Since January, nine incidents of stone-pelting at these superfast trains have been reported from various places in Telangana. Some of the ‘preferred’ sections of miscreants are Kazipet, Khammam, Kazipet-Bhongir and Eluru-Rajahmundry, SCR pointed out.
Telangana apart, Vande Bharat Express service has been attacked in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal since it was introduced in February 2019.
Several cases have been registered against perpetrators, leading to 39 people being arrested by Railway Protection Force (RPF) thus far.
Some preventive measures are being undertaken by SCR, including awareness campaigns and coordinating with Sarpanches of villages near tracks and making them village ‘mitras’, SCR Chief Public Relations Officer Ch Rakesh as quoted as saying by PTI.
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