-Stringent action will be taken against the perpetrators under section 153 of Railways Act
South Central Railway, Railway Protection Force (RPF) earnestly appeals to the General Public not to indulge in anti-social activities such as Stone pelting on trains which causes serious injuries to on-board passengers and damages Railway property. Stone pelting on trains, like Vande Bharat Express, is punishable under RPF Act and needs efforts & support of all to curtail the problem. The Stone pelting on trains is a criminal offence and stringent action will be taken against the perpetrators under section 153 of Railways Act, which is punishable with imprisonment which may extend up to 5 years.
Instances of stone pelting have taken place across different locations over South Central Railway jurisdiction. Some of the vulnerable sections have been Kazipet – Khammam, Kazipet – Bhongir and Eluru – Rajahmundry. In recent times, Vande Bharat trains are being targeted by miscreants and nine such incidents have been reported since January, 2023. Such instances have not only led to precious damage of public property but also led to rescheduling of the train. This causes inconvenience to all passengers. The pelting of stones on a train has serious implications, as many as five passengers were seriously injured as a result of being hit by stone. Such stone hits can lead to a fatal injuries to the on-board passengers.
Railway Protection Force is working tirelessly to catch culprits involved in such incidents. As a result, so far the RPF has registered several cases and 39 offenders were arrested and sent to jail. It is important to recognize that miscreants doing the act are harming the safe running of our own asset viz., Indian Railways. It is also important to realize that some of the stone pelting incidents also involved children aged between 6 to 17 years. Therefore, it is the responsibility of every parent, teacher, and elders in the society to counsel, educate and guide children to desist them from such activities.
The Railway Protection Force is also undertaking several preventive measures including awareness campaigns and coordinating with Sarpanches of villages near tracks and making them village mitras. In addition, staff have also been deployed in all stone pelting black spots who may be informed as & when any such occurrence is likely. People who witness such incidents are requested to report them by dialling 139, for immediate action by RPF.
Shri Arun Kumar Jain, General Manager, South Central Railway has appealed to the General Public to refrain from indulging in such un-lawful activities which damage National property and causes serious injuries to passengers. He appealed to the elders to counsel their children and educate them regarding the serious implications of their childish actions.
