Hyderabad-Darbhanga Express was delayed at Kurkura Station for over two and a half hours after some unidentified persons were spotted near the track between Pokla and Pakra Stations on Hatia-Rourkela section in the midnight on Tuesday.
“The train was delayed for two hours 36 minutes at Kurkura station following an input received from the two trackmen – Prem Nath Nayak and Om Prakash that a group of some doubtful people was spotted near the track between Pokla and Pakra stations at around 10 pm,” said a senior Railway official requesting anonymity. More than 10-12 people were seen moving on the tracks in torch lights by the two trackmen following which they started receding after a pause, but two of them followed them and finally started chasing them, he said.
“The trackmen somehow came back to Pakra station and informed the Station Master who later informed Gumla SP and the whole stretch from Pokla to Pakra stations was searched by the RPF under police protection and then any train was allowed to ply on it,” said the official.
Meanwhile, Hyderabad-Darbhanga Superfast train along with two other goods trains were kept stranded at Kurkura station, he added.
The Railway authorities, however, rejected the idea that the Maoists were trying to damage the track, saying that that the train was delayed as a preventive measure to make sure that no damage had been made to the track.
“The passenger train delayed only due to security reasons and was released after the authorities got assured that it was safe to go on it. A goods train, however, went ahead of it so that minimum damage is caused to the life and property in case of any untoward incident.
Meanwhile, an FIR has been lodged by the two trackmen at Kamdara police station explaining the incident which took place with them.
Detention of trains by Maoists is not new for Jharkhand as Maoists had earlier detained Tata-Bilaspur passenger train near Posaita station in Saranda forest in Jharkhand in May 2012 and hung a one kg can bomb in front of the engine, before engaging security personnel in an encounter.