Pune Crime Files: A year after loco pilot averts tragedy by spotting gas cylinder on railway track, probe still inconclusive

As stated in the FIR, R T Wani, the loco pilot of the Secunderabad–Pune Shatabdi Express, which was heading towards Pune, noticed a small red-coloured LPG cylinder on the railway line near Uruli station, between kilometre markers 219/7 and 219/5, around 10.42 pm on December 29.

Wani reduced the speed of the fast-moving train and applied emergency brakes just in time so that the train hit the cylinder only mildly. Then, Wani and train manager Ketan Ratnani inspected the spot and confirmed that it was a red-coloured mini cylinder of ‘Priya Gold company’, filled with liquified petroleum gas (LPG) and weighing 3.9 kg.

The crew promptly removed the cylinder to prevent further danger, and reported the matter to the station master. The railway authorities were also informed and the cylinder was handed over to the RPF at Pune railway station.

Probe looks into sabotage angle

An offence was lodged against the unidentified accused under sections 125 (act that endangers the personal safety or life of others) and 327 (commit mischief with the intent to destroy or make unsafe a rail) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and sections of the Railways Act, 1989.

A police probe was launched to find out who left the gas cylinder on the railway line, causing a threat to the lives of train passengers. Had the cylinder exploded, there was a possibility that the train would have derailed, the police said.

Suspecting sabotage, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) also initiated a parallel investigation into this case. Teams of the Pune City police, RPF and ATS questioned several people, including ragpickers, beggars and others.

Investigators said there was no CCTV camera around the spot where the cylinder was placed on the railway line. However, they scanned videos captured by CCTV cameras installed at other locations. Attempts were made to find out from where the LPG cylinder was procured but they found no clues. The case remains unsolved, a police officer said.

Similar incidents reported in Kanpur

Meanwhile, in a similar incident, a tragedy was averted after the loco pilot of the Bhiwani-Prayagraj Kalindi Express applied emergency brakes just when the train hit an LPG cylinder placed on the tracks in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur on September 8, 2024. According to the police, matchboxes and a bottle carrying fuel were also found at the spot.

Again, on September 22 that year, an empty gas cylinder was spotted on the tracks near the Prempur railway station in Kanpur. In January this year, another empty gas cylinder was found on the tracks near Kanpur’s Barrajpur railway station.