NEW DELHI: A railway staff member was arrested by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) on Monday for allegedly placing 10 “harmless” detonators on the tracks, which went off as a military special train passed through Madhya Pradesh last week, according to officials.
The incident took place on September 18 when the military train was briefly halted for two minutes after the detonators exploded near Sagphata, situated between Nepanagar and Khandwa stations in the Bhusawal division.
The accused, identified as Sabir, works as a mate—a supervisory position above a gangman—and is responsible for track patrol duties. According to authorities, these detonators are typically accessible only to a few government departments and were not officially issued to Sabir. He claimed in his statement that he was intoxicated and not on duty at the time of the incident.
Sabir has been charged under Section 3(a) of the Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act for the theft of the detonators, said Khandwa RPF Inspector Sanjeev Kumar. The court has remanded Sabir to RPF custody for further questioning, added Central Railway RPF Commandant Manoj Kumar, who oversees the Bhusawal division unit.
“The signal detonators used do not pose any danger. They are similar to firecrackers, containing no explosive material but only a mixture that creates a loud sound. They are designed to alert train drivers to obstructions on the tracks and are also known as fog signals,” explained Kumar.
Following the incident, the military special train, which was en route to Khandwa, was thoroughly inspected and allowed to proceed after confirming no further risks.
