Circle Officer (City)
Deepak Chaturvedi told reporters that at 9:20 pm on November 22, an iron rod of
about 12 mm diameter measuring 25 feet was found on the railway track near
Lalouri Kheda, forcing train No. 05312 between Pilibhit and Bareilly to stop
there for about four minutes after its engine hit the object. Teams from police, Government Railway
Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) visited the spot to probe the
matter, Chaturvedi said.
Netra Pal Singh, a
senior section engineer in the Railways, said the iron rod was placed on the
track near the railway crossing between Jehanabad and Shahi railway stations. Singh also described the act as a
"deliberate conspiracy" to harm the train and its passengers.
According to the
police, the iron rod was taken from an underpass being demolished by the
Railways near the Jahanabad crossing, about 2 km from the tracks where it was
found. The police suspect that it may have been placed on the track to cut it
as it was quite long. Considering the seriousness of the matter,
a complaint has been lodged with the police against unknown persons, he added.
The police are
scanning the CCTV footage from the nearby areas to find any clue. Following the
incident, officials have appealed to the people to remain alert about
suspicious activities near railway tracks.