Stone pelting at Gorakhpur-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express near Ayodhya; Windows damaged

Stones were pelted on the Vande Bharat Express train started four days ago between Gorakhpur to Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. Window glasses of four coaches of Vande Bharat Express train have been broken due to stone pelting by anti-social elements in Ayodhya on Tuesday afternoon. However, taking this attack very seriously, the Ayodhya police found the stone pelters in just two hours. All have been arrested. According to the police, the stone pelters are shepherds, who were angry after their goats were hit by the Vande Bharat Express.

The incident of stone pelting on Vande Bharat Express took place when the train was going from Gorakhpur to Lucknow. Stones were pelted when the train reached near Sohawal railway station in Ayodhya district. Several windows of the C1, C3, C5 and E1 coaches of the train were broken by stone pelting. Window glasses of C1 coach seat number 33 and 34, C3 coach seat number 20, 21 and 22, C5 coach seat number 10, 11 and 12 and E1 coach seat number 35 and 36 have been completely broken. Passengers got scared due to the sudden stone pelting on the train and there was chaos inside the coach. However, none of the passengers were hurt in this.

While investigating the incident, the Ayodhya police caught the stone pelters within two hours. Ayodhya’s Senior Superintendent of Police Karan Nayyar told that the stone pelting was done by Munnu Paswan and his sons Ajay and Vijay. Munnu Paswan grazes goats. On July 9, six of his goats were crushed under the Vande Bharat Express train. He was very angry due to this loss. In this anger, he has pelted stones at the train. All three have been arrested and further action is being taken.

The Gorakhpur-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express train was flagged off by PM Narendra Modi on 7 July. Vande Bharat Express train number 22549 leaves Gorakhpur at 6.05 am and reaches Lucknow at 10.20 am, while train number 22550 leaves Lucknow at 7.15 pm to reach Gorakhpur at 11.25 pm. The train fare from Lucknow to Gorakhpur is Rs 1,005 in chair car and Rs 1,755 in executive class.