Kalindi Express Hits LPG Cylinder On Tracks Near Kanpur, Police Probe Terror Angle

Kanpur: Almost a month after the Sabarmati Express derailed due to a mysterious object on the track, an attempt to derail the Kalindi Express, which was traveling from Prayagraj to Bhiwani, was thwarted after the train hit an LPG cylinder placed on the tracks in the Shivrajpur area on Sunday night. The cylinder was displaced from the tracks after being struck by the train, which managed to come to a sudden stop.

Police reported that the incident occurred around 8:20 pm when the train was moving at high speed. Apart from the LPG cylinder, a bottle of petrol and matchboxes were also found at the scene, suggesting a probable sabotage attempt.

Authorities are investigating the incident to determine the motive behind the attempted derailment.

Bottle of petrol, matchboxes recovered from spot

"An attempt was made to derail the Kalindi Express by placing the LPG cylinder on the tracks. Soon after receiving information about the incident around 8.20 pm on Sunday, senior officials rushed to the site and launched an investigation," police said.

A forensics team was also called in, and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) is also investigating the matter, they said.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Harish Chandra said the loco pilot saw that the LPG cylinder was placed on the tracks and applied emergency brakes. However, before it came to a halt, the train hit the cylinder, throwing it away from the tracks, Chandra said, adding the loco pilot informed the guard and the gateman about it.

The train remained at the incident site for about 20 minutes and was again stopped at the Bilhaur station for a check, the ACP said. The damaged cylinder has been recovered. A bottle of petrol and matchboxes were also recovered from the spot, Chandra said.

He said efforts were being made to identify the culprits and they will be dealt with sternly.

FIR Registered Under Explosives Act

The Railways, meanwhile, lodged an FIR in at Shivrajpur against unidentified persons, saying that placing an LPG cylinder on the tracks along with a bottle filled with petrol with a wick is a possible sabotage bid.

An FIR has been registered in the matter and multiple teams have been formed to probe the incident. Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Rajesh Kumar Singh said the Uttar Pradesh Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) has launched an investigation separately. The FIR has been filed under relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Explosives Act and the Railways Act, police said. After registering the FIR, top officials formed five teams headed by senior officials to investigate the matter.

DCP (West) Singh said the police teams will probe the matter in detail and initiate action against those involved.

Additional DCP (Local Intelligence Unit) has also been asked to gather criminal intelligence about the conspirators and assist police teams in cracking the case, he added.

UP's Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has also launched its own investigation, he added.

It has also been decided to look for 'Jamatis' (an Islamic congregation) in the vicinity and question them, official sources said.

A police team has also been dispatched to Kannauj after a sweet box (Siyaram sweets) was found near the site, with officials saying it could possibly lead them to the perpetrators.

Anti-Terrorism Squad Reaches Location, Investigation Underway

As the Indian Railway conducts a thorough investigation to get to the bottom of this deliberate attempt for derailment, the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has reached the spot and the conspiracy angle is being investigated. Searches and investigation are underway in the surrounding districts. 

Union Minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh expressed concern over the recent train derailments and claimed that some Pakistan-linked "sleeper cells" were carrying out the attacks. "Sleeper cells of terrorists sitting in Pakistan are carrying out these train attacks and these attacks are being carried out by people of a particular community, hence their political sleeper cells are also silent on this issue," he said in a post. 

A few days ago, a man in UP's Prayagraj was arrested on charges of attempting to obstruct train movement by keeping different objects on the track. Many of his viral videos also showed him keeping objects such as gas cylinders, coins, bricks, etc. on the railway track.