The police have confirmed that stones found on the railway track near Valapattanam bridge on Saturday evening, which briefly raised fears of an attempt to sabotage the Vande Bharat train, were placed by two 12-year-old students.
The discovery was made as the train passed through the adjoining track. An investigation led by Valapattanam S.I. T.M. Vipin with support from the Railway Protection Force (RPF) traced the act to the two minors. The children and their parents were summoned, counselled on the seriousness of the offence and let off with a warning.
The revelation comes even as a special police team is probing a more alarming incident involving a concrete slab found on the track near the Valapattanam station at 2 a.m. on Friday. The Kochuveli-Bhavnagar Express ran over the slab before the loco pilot found it.
The investigation, supervised by Kannur ACP Pradeepan Kannipoyil and led by Valapattanam Principal SI T.M. Vipin and ASI Dileesh, faces hurdles due to the lack of CCTV footage from the vicinity. The location is frequented by drug users and migrant workers, the police said.
Sabotage attempts
Similar sabotage attempts had been reported in the past in neighbouring Pappinissery, where iron rods and stones were placed on tracks. Migrant workers were arrested in a few cases then.
Authorities are concerned about the rising trend of teenagers engaging in risky behaviour near railway line. Incidents of schoolchildren throwing stones at trains have been reported frequently. Passengers have complained of stones being thrown from adjacent playgrounds.
In 2022, six minors were arrested for placing stones between Trikkaripur and Payyannur stations.
Published – July 14, 2025 04:09 pm IST
