Chasing fame and drunk, they attempted to derail train

The police have arrested two men involved in a plot to derail a train by placing a wooden log on the tracks near Bhatasa station on Friday last, a day after 22 coaches of Sabarmati Express derailed in Kanpur.

The two arrested have confessed they wanted to gain notoriety by derailing the train on the Kasganj-Farrukhabad route, said circle officer, Kaimganj, Jai Singh Tomar.

Both have been sent to jail by the court on Wednesday.

The accused, Dev Singh and Mohan Kumar, who is also known as Monty Kashyap, attempted to derail a special passenger train, said Tomar.

But an alert loco pilot prevented a major accident by applying emergency brakes. A case was filed with the RPF and another at the Kaimganj police station.

Dev Singh is the son of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Lok Shakti) leader Kamlesh Kumar.

During investigation, it emerged that the two had consumed alcohol near the railway tracks that night. They had found a wooden log in a nearby mango orchard, placed it on the tracks, and then returned home to Ariyara village.

“That night, they boasted to the entire village that they would become famous the next day. The villagers initially dismissed it as drunken bragging, but when they later heard about the wooden log on the tracks, they informed the police,” said Tomar.

As their plan to derail the train to gain fame fell flat, the duo decided to flee to Delhi fearing repercussions. Before they could do so, the police apprehended them.