The Railway Protection Force (RPF) has apprehended three individuals in Prayagraj for allegedly obstructing a railway signal with black polythene. This act was intended to slow down trains, facilitating thefts from unsuspecting passengers, particularly targeting their mobile phones. The arrests highlight ongoing concerns regarding railway safety and security measures in the region.
The incident occurred during the night of Aug 23-24 between Jasra and Madaraha. At around 12.55 am, the loco pilot of train number 17324 informed Railway officials that signal 504-A was not clearly visible. The accused were identified as Sangeet Nath, 19, Mahil, 18, both from Bara in Prayagraj, and Rajan, 21, from Rae b=Bareli.
Stay updated with the latest Prayagraj news.
During interrogation, the accused allegedly told investigators that they planned to make trains slow down and then snatch passengers’ phones using sticks or slippers. RPF personnel from Naini and Shankargarh rushed to the spot and found that the green lights of two up and two down signals had been covered with black polythene. They were booked under relevant sections of the Railway Act. Download the TOI App.
RPF also linked them to two earlier cable-cutting cases.