Botad (Gujarat), Oct 28 A court in Gujarat’s Botad district on Wednesday sentenced two persons to rigorous imprisonment for life for trying to derail a train, cause injuries to the passengers on board and loot their valuables.
District and Sessions Judge (Botad) Manishsahay Parashar handed the punishment to Ramesh Saliya and Jayesh Bavaliya after finding them guilty of placing a heavy metal piece on the track between Kundli and Botad, which damaged the Okha-Bhavnagar Terminus Express train in 2024.
The duo was found guilty under Railways Act sections that deal with the offence of maliciously wrecking or attempting to wreck a train, among other provisions.
As per the case details, the train (No. 19210) carrying passengers struck a heavy object, causing it to come to an immediate halt. While the train engine sustained damage, no casualties were reported.
The train driver and the guard discovered that a piece of a metre-gauge rail track had been placed in the train’s path with the intent to cause damage.
Following a complaint, a case was registered at the Ranpur police station under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for attempting to commit culpable homicide and criminal conspiracy; sections 150(1)(a) and 150(2)(b) of the Railways Act concerning maliciously wrecking or attempting to wreck a train; and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act for mischief against public property.
Subsequent investigation pointed to the role of Ramesh Saliya and Jayesh Bavaliya, both residents of Alav village.
“The two accused informed the court that they were burdened by debt, which led them to conspire to derail a train with the intent to commit robbery. The attempt resulted in damage to the train’s engine… Their plan was to derail the train, cause injuries to the passengers, and then flee after looting their valuables,” said district government pleader KM Makwana.
However, in reality, the two were not under any significant debt burden, he said.
“Their primary motive was robbery; they had devised their plan after watching YouTube videos on how to derail a train,” he said.
During the trial, the prosecution presented 55 pieces of documentary evidence and examined 15 witnesses, successfully proving the charges against the accused, he said.
Accepting the prosecution’s arguments and submissions, the court sentenced both the accused to rigorous imprisonment for life, in accordance with the provisions of the Railways Act.
(PTI News)
