3 minors booked for stone-pelting at Vande Bharat train near Ujjain

Ujjain: The Railway Protection Force (RPF) has identified and taken action against three minors for allegedly pelting stones at the Nagpur-Indore Vande Bharat Express, damaging the windows of six coaches near Ujjain last week.

The incident occurred on May 25 at 10.50 pm shortly after the train departed from Ujjain station. Stones struck coaches C6, C7, C8, C9, E1 and E2, damaging windowpanes and triggering an investigation by the railway authorities.

RPF station in-charge Narendra Yadav said investigators examined CCTV footage from the Hanuman Naka-Gada Puliya area and questioned local residents during the probe. They received information that a group of children had been seen near the railway tracks around the time of the incident.

During questioning in the presence of their parents, the three minors admitted they had been playing cricket near the tracks. After losing their plastic ball and failing to find it, they began throwing track ballast stones at one another. As the train passed, some of the stones hit the Vande Bharat coaches.

Officials said the children claimed the act was unintentional and assured authorities they would not repeat such behaviour. The RPF later verified the incident site between Ujjain station and Gada Puliya and prepared the spot inspection report.

A case was registered under section 153 (acts endangering safety of passengers) of the Railways Act and the minors were booked as juvenile offenders. They were subsequently released into the custody of their parents after being directed to appear before the Juvenile Justice Board in Ujjain.