Railway staffer held for stealing, setting off detonators on special Army train’s route

Railway staffer arrested for stealing and setting off detonators on Army train route in Madhya Pradesh.

A railways staffer was arrested and another detained on Monday (September 23, 2024) for allegedly stealing and setting off 10 detonators on the route of a special Army train in Madhya Pradesh’s Khandwa district which resulted in the train being stopped for about 30 minutes, officials said.

Swapnil Nila, Chief Public Relations Officer, Central Railway, told The Hindu that a staffer from the engineering department, identified as Shabbir, was detained for questioning and arrested by the Railway Protection Force. 

On September 18 around 2 p.m., 10 of railways’ own detonators went off on the route of a special train, providing services to the Indian Army, prompting the authorities to stop the train for about 30 minutes to conduct inspection of the track. The incident took place between Nepanagar and Khandwa stations on the Delhi-Mumbai route.

The detonators, that produce loud sound, are used by the railways to alert the loco pilots for any possible risks on the track like fog or mist. However, only a few departments are allowed to possess the detonators. 

Mr. Nila said that there was no need to place the detonators on the concerned track and location.

After the incident came to light last week, the RPF launched an investigation into the incident 

Mr. Shabbir is posted as a mate, responsible for patrolling the tracks.