GRP arrests three for flinging bag of iron rods on railway tracks
“The gunny bag could have endangered the lives of commuters. Based on the threat, we registered a case and began our investigation,” a police officer said
Mumbai: Three men were arrested on Saturday for allegedly throwing a gunny bag filled with iron rods onto railway tracks in Mumbai's western suburbs, potentially endangering the lives of train commuters.
Railway officials said the incident occurred on November 6 when the station master at Bhayander railway station received an urgent alert. A motorman operating a Churchgate-bound local train had spotted a suspicious gunny bag on the tracks and halted the train, averting what could have been a serious accident.
Railway Protection Force officers, upon inspection, discovered seven iron rods inside the bag. "The gunny bag could have endangered the lives of commuters. Based on the threat, we registered a case against unknown persons and began our investigation," said a Vasai Government Railway Police (GRP) officer.
The breakthrough came after investigators meticulously reviewed CCTV footage from multiple railway stations between Palghar and Mira Road. The footage revealed three men carrying the gunny bag while boarding a train at Virar station.
The suspects, identified as Vikas Rajbhar, Jaisingh Rathore and Vikram Gupta, all residents of Bhayander, were apprehended on Saturday. All three work as daily wage labourers at various construction sites.
"During interrogation, we learned that the men had stolen the iron rods from a construction site in Virar. When they failed to find a buyer, they decided to dispose of them on the railway tracks," the officer explained.
Police are continuing their investigation to determine whether the suspects intentionally placed the bag on the tracks to cause harm or if it was merely an act of reckless disposal.