Stone-pelting a worry for RPF

Alappuzha: The ‘happy’ train journey in Kerala often becomes a nightmare for many passengers who fall victims to stone-pelting by anti-social elements. The Alappuzha-Cherthala and Kayamkulam-Ambalappuzha routes are the worst-hit by such incidents which are on the increase.

The other day,   Sivankutty Nair, 54,  an ex-serviceman from Pathiyoor near Kayamkulam, lost three teeth in stone-pelting near Karuvatta here while he was travelling by the  Ernakulam-Kollam  MEMU train  around 11. 30 p.m.   Nair, a  security guard in Kochi FCI, was returning home when the incident happened. He was later admitted to the Alappuzha Medical College.  

The  Railway Protection Force and the police are groping in the dark about  the culprits.  

The RPF personnel say the  victims are  unable to identify  the exact  place of occurrence as they happen in moving train.  If a passenger is hit, the train will be stopped only many kilometres away from the spot.  Hence the culprits easily  escape.

The crimes are investigated by the local police.  However, the RPF keeps a vigil at  the vulnerable stretches and conduct awareness programmes for the  local people and school children in the areas. The trackman and local people are also instructed to keep children away from the tracks.

Since 2014,  as many as 35 incidents were reported and 20 passengers, including eight women, were  injured. Only  one person was arrested in this connection.   

On February 2, 2015,   stones were thrown at the same Ernakulam-Kollam MEMU train as it passed through Kumbalam near here at 8.15 p.m.   On December 27 the  same year,  a woman passenger, who was travelling in the Thiruvananthapuram- Indore Express, was injured by a stone at Punnapara. But the police have  failed to catch the criminals.  

Stretches like  Ernakulam-Angamaly, Thiruvananthapuram-Kollam, Kollam-Kayamkulam, Changanassery-Kottayam and Nanganeri-Melapalayam are also vulnerable.