Kannur, Dec 25 (IANS) A reckless bid to shoot a social media reel brought train services to a brief halt in Kannur early on Thursday, after a red signal was deliberately shown to stop a running passenger train.
The incident has triggered serious safety concerns, with railway authorities terming it a grave violation that could have led to a major accident.
The incident occurred in the early hours between Thalassery and Mahe, when the Ernakulam–Pune Okha Express was forced to stop after a red light was displayed on the tracks.
Police said the signal was not authorised and was used solely to stop the train so that a video could be recorded for social media. The Kannur Railway Police registered a case against two Plus Two students in connection with the incident.
While two youths were taken into custody and later released on bail, a third person who was reportedly present at the scene managed to flee.
Police have launched a search to trace him and are also examining whether more individuals were involved in planning the act.
According to preliminary findings, the students trespassed onto the railway track area during the early morning hours, exploiting low visibility and reduced supervision.
Investigators said the red signal was displayed in a manner that compelled the train driver to bring the express to a halt, following standard safety protocol.
The train resumed its journey after a brief delay once the situation was assessed and found to be safe.
Railway authorities have described the act as “extremely dangerous” and warned that unauthorised interference with train operations poses a serious threat to passenger safety.
Senior officials pointed out that even a momentary misjudgement could result in derailments or collisions, especially on busy routes.
The case has been registered under provisions of the Railways Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita dealing with endangering public safety and obstructing the operation of public transport.
Police said strict action would be pursued to deter similar incidents, amid a growing trend of youths attempting risky stunts for online visibility.
The incident has renewed calls for stronger awareness campaigns and enforcement to curb hazardous behaviour linked to social media content creation, particularly around critical public infrastructure such as railways.
–IANS
sg/svn
