We Now Have Further Evidence That Terrorists Are Trying To Derail Trains And Cause Huge Casualties

It is now clear Sunday’s rail sabotage in Lucknow is part of a larger and sinister design to cause heavy casualty and create panic among the people, says a report in the Times of India.

The miscreants who destroyed the tracks in the city on Sunday had chosen the stretch where engine and coaches negotiate a steep curve in order to cause maximum damage with minimum effort, experts say. They say, had a passenger train derailed on this stretch, it would not only have caused heavy casualty but also damaged the plush houses located alongside the stretch in Mahanagar Extension.

Security forces have launched an extensive probe based on the modus operandi (removal of fastening clip) and which was exposed when 10 coaches of a goods train derailed in Unnao in January.

The anti-terror squad (ATS) of UP police has managed to secure CCTV footage from a house located along the tracks.

"Movement of the suspects has been captured in the footage, but the grabs are extremely grainy as the operation took place early morning," said inspector general (ATS) Asim Arun.

The sleuths are trying to get improved images with the help of private experts, and have also sought help from Saba Siddiqui, a local resident, who woke up after hearing the "sudden noise" and saw the miscreants hammering the tracks.

The survey which ended on Sunday evening revealed that close to 300 pandrol clips, used to fasten rails to wooden sleepers, had been uprooted in order to cause damage to 150-metre-long rail tracks.

Inspector general (GRP), Binod Kumar Singh said that a joint team has been set up to probe the case. Five different units working on the case.