Man arrested over raised rail guard near Thrissur railway station in Kerala

A man was arrested in connection with a raised rail guard found near Thrissur railway station here on Thursday morning, police said.

The accused, identified as Hari (38) from Annamalai in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, was arrested just hours after the incident.

He has been charged with attempted theft, while an investigation is underway to determine if there was an intention to cause a derailment, a Railway Police official said.

Hari was produced before a local court, which remanded him to judicial custody.

A goods train moving on the Thrissur-Ernakulam downline hit that raised portion, a few meters away from the station, at 4.50 am but continued its journey, police added. Police suspect the involvement of more individuals, as the rail guard could not have been lifted by a single person.

Officials suspect that the accused may have left the iron object on the track after failing to carry it alone.

A rail guard, as called by railway workers, is an iron object primarily used in construction to position iron plates before they are laid on railway tracks, according to Railway Police officers.

Police sources revealed that the accused, reportedly addicted to alcohol and drugs, confessed that he had attempted to steal the iron object to sell it for money to buy drugs.

However, police officers said a detailed investigation is on. The loco pilot of the goods train heading towards the Thiruvananthapuram side immediately alerted the railway station authorities. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Kerala police have launched an inquiry into the incident.

Two persons were arrested last month for allegedly placing an iron post on the railway track in Kundara in Kollam district.