Two men were arrested by Railway Protection Force for placing an aluminium ladder on the railway track between Coimbatore North and Peelamedu stations on May 9. They intended to break the ladder into pieces using a passing train to sell it as scrap metal.
Coimbatore: Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel arrested two men on Thursday for placing an aluminium ladder on the railway track between Coimbatore North and Peelamedu railway stations, causing a potential safety hazard.
The incident occurred on May 9 evening around 5:30 PM when a superfast train travelling between Coimbatore North and Peelamedu stations hit an aluminium ladder that had been deliberately placed on the tracks. The train was immediately brought to a halt, and security personnel removed the damaged ladder from the tracks before allowing the train to proceed on its journey.
Following the incident, RPF police registered a case under the Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act and Public Safety provisions and launched an intensive investigation. Police examined CCTV footage from cameras installed in the area, which captured images of two suspicious individuals.
Based on the surveillance footage, RPF and Crime Investigation Department personnel conducted patrol operations in the Rathinapuri railway overbridge area. During their rounds, they detained two suspects found loitering suspiciously under the bridge - Nagaraj (35) from Veerakeralam area and Kanthasamy (45) from Karamadai area.
During interrogation, police discovered that both accused were engaged in collecting and selling empty liquor bottles and scrap iron materials. The investigation revealed their shocking plan: on May 9, they had attempted to sell an aluminium ladder to a scrap dealer. However, the dealer refused to purchase it as a whole piece and advised them to cut it into smaller pieces.
Instead of using conventional methods to break the ladder, the duo devised a dangerous plan. They decided to place the ladder on the railway track, hoping that a passing train would run over it and break it into pieces, making it easier to sell as scrap metal. The CCTV footage matched their identities, confirming their involvement in the incident.
Following their confession, RPF police arrested both suspects and produced them before the court. Subsequently, they were remanded to judicial custody. The incident highlights the reckless behaviour of scrap collectors and the potential danger such actions pose to railway safety and passenger lives.
The incident occurred on May 9 evening around 5:30 PM when a superfast train travelling between Coimbatore North and Peelamedu stations hit an aluminium ladder that had been deliberately placed on the tracks. The train was immediately brought to a halt, and security personnel removed the damaged ladder from the tracks before allowing the train to proceed on its journey.
Following the incident, RPF police registered a case under the Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act and Public Safety provisions and launched an intensive investigation. Police examined CCTV footage from cameras installed in the area, which captured images of two suspicious individuals.
Based on the surveillance footage, RPF and Crime Investigation Department personnel conducted patrol operations in the Rathinapuri railway overbridge area. During their rounds, they detained two suspects found loitering suspiciously under the bridge - Nagaraj (35) from Veerakeralam area and Kanthasamy (45) from Karamadai area.
During interrogation, police discovered that both accused were engaged in collecting and selling empty liquor bottles and scrap iron materials. The investigation revealed their shocking plan: on May 9, they had attempted to sell an aluminium ladder to a scrap dealer. However, the dealer refused to purchase it as a whole piece and advised them to cut it into smaller pieces.
Instead of using conventional methods to break the ladder, the duo devised a dangerous plan. They decided to place the ladder on the railway track, hoping that a passing train would run over it and break it into pieces, making it easier to sell as scrap metal. The CCTV footage matched their identities, confirming their involvement in the incident.
Following their confession, RPF police arrested both suspects and produced them before the court. Subsequently, they were remanded to judicial custody. The incident highlights the reckless behaviour of scrap collectors and the potential danger such actions pose to railway safety and passenger lives.