Stones pelted at Vande Bharat train, window panes damaged just two days before flagging off

In yet another incident, Vande Bharat Express was attacked by some miscreated just two days before its official regular run.

The incident took place on Friday night in Chhattisgarh's Mahasamund district when Durg-Visakhapatnam Vande Bharat Express was undergoing trial run.

The window panes of three coaches were damaged in the incident.

Police have arrested five people for hurling stones.

The accused have been identified as Devendra Chandrakar, Shiv Kumar Baghel, Arjun Yadav, Jitu Tandi and Lekhraj Sonwani. They all are residents of Bagbahra.

The train is scheduled to be flagged off for regular run on September from Durg.

Praveen Singh Dhakad, inspector of the Railway Protection Force (Mahasamund), said that the incident took place when the train was on its way back from Visakhapatnam to Durg during its trail run, and was passing through Bagbahra railway station, reported PTI.

The officer said that a four RPF personnel's train escorting party sent an alert about the incident. Following that stone pelting incident, a security personnel team was sent to spot.

Fortunately, no person suffered injuries in the incident.

Official said that the accused have been booked under various section of the Railways Act of 1989, including, section 153 (anyone who endangers the safety of a person travelling on a railway by a willful act or omission is punishable with up to five years in prison).

The arrested accused Baghel's sister-in-law is a Congress corporator in Bagbahra, reported PTI quoting official.

Previously several such incidents have taken place.

In August, the Ahmedabad-Jodhpur Vande Bharat Express hit a cement slab, placed on the railway track in Rajasthan's Pali district. The cattle guard of the engine hit the cement slab.

In June, stones were pelted at a New Delhi-bound Vande Bharat Express train between Phagwara and Goraya rail section.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw unveiled the prototype version of the Vande Bharat sleeper coach at the BEML's facility. The coach will undergo rigorous trials and tests for the next ten days before rolling it out on the track for further testing.