K Muraleedharan Raises Concerns Over Railway Safety Amidst Increasing Stone Pelting Incidents in Kerala

Amidst a surge in incidents involving stone pelting on trains in Kerala, the opposition Congress party has raised questions about the safety of rail travel in the state. As these occurrences continue to rise, the Congress party has demanded strict actions against those responsible for these activities. Simultaneously, the Hosdurg police in Kasaragod district have detained approximately 50 individuals found near railway tracks under suspicious circumstances.

The police’s response follows an incident where stones were hurled at a Rajdhani Express while it was moving between Kanhangad and Nileshwar in the northern Kerala district. In a subsequent event on the same day, a Vande Bharat train was targeted with stones while traveling between Tanur and Tirur in Malappuram district at approximately 5:10 PM.

Highlighting the second occurrence, Congress MP K Muraleedharan expressed concern for his family members who were passengers on that train. He questioned the safety of train travel under such circumstances and emphasized the need for stricter actions against those responsible. Muraleedharan also criticized the lack of strong measures taken against individuals throwing stones at trains, expressing concern that if the trend continues, train travel could become significantly unsafe.

Muraleedharan, a former president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and the son of the renowned Congress leader K Karunakaran, noted that despite the demand for more trains, incidents of stone pelting are detrimental to the safety of passengers and the state’s allocated resources. He called for decisive actions from the government to prevent such activities, urging the Chief Minister to issue stringent directives in this regard.

Meanwhile, in Kasaragod, senior police officers conducted an inspection of railway tracks near Kanhangad. During this operation, around 50 individuals found under suspicious circumstances were taken into custody and questioned. The district administration confirmed that the detained individuals were still undergoing questioning and had not been formally arrested.

Additionally, the Hosdurg police registered a case under Section 152 of the Railways Act, which pertains to maliciously hurting or attempting to hurt individuals traveling by railway. This section carries a maximum penalty of ten years’ imprisonment. In response to these incidents, the district administration has enhanced surveillance efforts along the tracks by deploying CCTV cameras and additional personnel for covert monitoring.

The recurrence of stone pelting incidents on trains has been a cause for concern since August 13 when both the Mangaluru-Chennai Superfast Express and the Netravati Express were targeted by miscreants in Kannur district. Subsequent occurrences include a Vande Bharat Express window being damaged in a similar incident on August 16. Prior to these incidents, the Vande Bharat train had experienced stone pelting on multiple occasions in May after its launch in Kerala in April of the same year.