On Wednesday, July 5, the Bengaluru-Dharwad Vande Bharat Express was attacked with stones in Karnataka. The railways’ authority said that stones were pelted around 8:40 AM after the train passed the Kadur station while running between the Kadur-Birur section. None of the passengers were reported to be injured. The attackers are yet to be identified and arrested.
Stones were pelted on Train No 20661(Bengaluru-Dharwad) Vande Bharat express train at 08.40 hrs after passing Kadur station and between Kadur-Birur section in Karnataka by some unknown persons today: Indian Railways
— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2023
According to the Railways officials, the outer glass of C5 coach seat numbers 43, 44, and EC-1 coach toilets were damaged.
“There is no breakthrough. RPF is investigating by analysing the CCTV footage. Site investigation is also underway,” a railway official said.
This is the second such attack in a week. Stones were thrown at the Bengaluru-Dharwad Vande Bharat train near Davangere Railway station on Saturday, July 1. One of the chair cars’ windowpanes was damaged on the outside during that attack. However, there were no reported injuries. The stone pelting took place between 3.30 and 4 PM on Saturday, July 1, soon after the train left Davangere. The train service was not disrupted even after the attack.
On Wednesday, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) arrested two minor boys for pelting stones on the train during July 1 attack. The duo have been identified as the residents of Basha Nagar and SS Nagar in the Davangere district. Currently, they have been sent to an observation centre in Chitradurga. The offenders have been booked under Section 153 of the Railways Act, which may lead to five years imprisonment.
The attacks came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the exclusive ultra-luxury semi-high-speed Vande Bharat Express between Bengaluru and Dharwad on June 27.
Vande Bharat Express trains have been a target of miscreants and those opposed to India’s development. The train, manifesting the success of the Atmnirbhar Bharat initiative, has been attacked multiple times across the country since its first commercial run on February 17, 2019.
