Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, April 19: Khurda GRP officials Sunday arrested 51 people in connection with vandalising the Delang railway station and setting an express train bogey on fire.
Police said 51 persons were booked under sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 294 (obscene acts or words in public), 307 (attempt to murder), 506 (criminal intimidation), 427 (committing mischief and thereby causing loss or damage to property), 332 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 149 (offence committed by a member of an unlawful assembly), 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house, etc ) of IPC. They were also booked under sections 174 (obstructing running of train), and 151 of Railway Act (unlawful assembly) as per case No 36/15.
“The cops started apprehending the persons for their involvement in ransacking the railway station, from Gualipada village at around 2.20am,” said Khurda DSP DK Das (GRP).
The police sources, however, said the GRP officials later released two persons on health grounds and one person who actually does not belong to Gualipada village. The irate locals reportedly set ablaze one compartment of Puri-Barbil Express train by pouring petrol, sources added. Earlier, after a youth was crushed to death by a train near Delang station; several angry locals protested April 17 and ransacked the railway station.
The protestors also set ablaze a bogey of Puri-Barbil express train. Locals expressed their anguish after a senior RPF official of Khurda road division, who went there to investigate the matter, turned a deaf ear towards their demand for compensation to the deceased, Ratikant Chhatoi’s, family.
However, the situation came under control after a platoon of police force rushed to the spot. Several fire tenders also reached the spot to extinguish the fire.
After the incident a railway official had asserted that there was no loss of life of any passenger after a bogey of the express train was set on fire.
Ratikant, a native of Guliapada village under Delang police station limits, reportedly died after falling from the Puri-Barbil express train Thursday evening. Ratikant, a native of Guliapada village under Delang police station limits, reportedly died after falling from the Puri-Barbil express train Thursday evening.
