Mumbai: On Friday, unknown miscreants threw stones at the Bhusaval-Nandurbar passenger train, leading to a tense situation in the Jalgaon region of Maharashtra. The incident occurred at approximately 10 a.m. on July 12, with footage of the stone-pelting quickly going viral on social media, highlighting the severity of the situation.
The video shows a large crowd, including women wearing Islamic headscarves, gathered near the railway tracks as they threw stones at the moving train. Passengers in the general coach were visibly alarmed as stones struck inside the train. A woman in the video, speaking in Marathi, urged others to lock their windows for safety. Passengers were seen trying to exit the train in panic, with their distress evident from their screams.
The Government Railway Police (GRP) has lodged a complaint under the Railway Act Section 154 against the unknown perpetrators. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) in charge of Amalner has initiated an inquiry, with the GRP being informed for further legal action. Vineet Abhishek, the chief public relations officer for Western Railway, noted that many passengers were en route to a religious ceremony in Bhortek when the incident occurred. RPF personnel were present on the train.
Despite the viral video and the commotion, no formal written complaints have been filed by commuters, and there have been no reported injuries. The RPF has yet to release detailed information regarding the incident. Authorities have been advised to exercise heightened vigilance to ensure passenger safety.
The incident has added to frustrations over the frequent delays of the daily commuter train. Senior police officials at Marwad police station, where the incident was reported, have not yet confirmed the stone-pelting occurrence, though they are investigating it.
Reports suggest that the stone-pelting happened shortly after the train left the station, as passengers were on their way to the Urus celebration at Dhar in the Amalner taluka. The train had just departed when the stones were thrown.
This incident follows previous stone-pelting attacks on trains, including an April 2024 attack on a MEMU train from Gwalior to Jaura and similar incidents involving the Vande Bharat Express and Shatabdi Express around Gwalior-Morena. The "Aastha Special" train, carrying Hindu devotees from Surat to Ayodhya, was also targeted earlier this year. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) are continuing investigations into these attacks.
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