Three railway employees were arrested for allegedly plotting to derail a train near Kim railway station in Surat district, Gujarat. The employees reportedly removed essential parts of the track, including fishplates and keys, in a staged attempt to gain recognition for preventing a potential disaster. The incident, which occurred on September 21, was thwarted before any serious harm could occur.
The Conspiracy to Stage a Derailment
According to the Western Railway, Vadodara Division, unidentified individuals were reported to have opened fishplates and removed keys from the UP line track near Kim railway station. Service was quickly restored after the alert was raised. However, investigations revealed that the act was a deliberate conspiracy by three railway employees to simulate a derailment and claim heroism in preventing it.
The accused were identified as trackmen Subhash Podar and Manish Mistry, and a contract worker, Shubham Jayswal. They allegedly removed the parts from the track, photographed and filmed the damage, and then reinstalled the pieces. Their goal was to act as whistleblowers and claim credit for averting the disaster.
Criminal Charges Filed
A case was registered under multiple sections of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges of criminal conspiracy, reckless endangerment, and acts that endangered human life. The accused also face charges under the Railway Act and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. The police arrested all three, and the investigation uncovered damning evidence that led to their apprehension.
“On the night of September 21, fishplates were found removed from 1.5 km of tracks between Kim and Kosamba stations,” said Surat Rural SP. “While Subhash Podar and his associates were tampering with the track, around 15 trains passed on the same line. They hid each time a train passed, aiming to alert authorities just before the Garib Rath train was due at 5:25 am.”
Motive Behind the Conspiracy
The accused reportedly hoped that by alerting authorities in time to prevent a derailment, they would receive accolades, awards, and recognition. Additionally, they were seeking to be reassigned from their night shift duties to more desirable day shifts.
“Subhas Podar, who has been with Indian Railways for nine years, was the one who alerted the authorities about the removed fishplates. A major derailment was avoided thanks to the timely repairs,” added officials. However, the suspicious timing of the alert, coupled with other evidence, led to the unraveling of the plot.
Evidence Uncovered
Authorities discovered several incriminating photos and videos on the accused’s phones, which had been deleted but were later recovered from their recycle bins. The footage showed the removed parts of the track, taken between 2:00 am and 5:00 am. However, the alert to authorities was not sent until after 5:00 am, raising doubts about the authenticity of the workers’ claims.
“While examining their phones, we found a few photos and videos of the removed parts from their recycle bin that were shot between 2:00 am and 5:00 am. But the alert was sent after 5:00 am. They could not explain this, which strengthened our doubts about their involvement,” Surat SP Hitesh Joysar explained.
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