Two farm laborers in Gujarat’s Botad district, heavily burdened by debt, were arrested for attempting to derail an Okha-Bhavnagar train on September 25 as part of a scheme to rob passengers, according to police. The accused, Jayesh Nagarbhai Bawaliya (24) and Ramesh Kanji Saliya (55), allegedly got the idea after watching videos on YouTube.
This incident occurred amid a series of train derailment attempts across the country. Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently announced efforts in collaboration with state authorities, police, and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to curb such acts targeting railway operations and passenger safety.
Police Superintendent Kishor Baloliya explained that the duo placed a piece of rail vertically on the track near Kundli village, 12 kilometers from Botad town, at around 3:30 am. Their goal was to cause a derailment, but while the engine stopped after hitting the iron object, the train did not derail. The two men, who had been waiting nearby in a cotton field, fled on a two-wheeler.
The rail piece used in the attempt was reportedly stolen from a nearby railway repair site. Following a joint investigation involving the NIA, authorities arrested Bawaliya and Saliya, charging them under sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita related to causing hurt and sedition. Investigations are ongoing to determine if others were involved.
Their arrest followed another derailment attempt on September 21, when three railway maintenance workers—Subhash Poddar, Manish Mistry, and Shubham Jaiswal—were held in Surat for tampering with tracks near Kim station. The trio removed fishplates and loosened bolts, later falsely claiming to have averted a disaster. Their motive was reportedly to gain recognition and continue night duties, which gave them more free time during the day.
