Connect with us
Sunday,23-August-2026
Breaking News

National News

Mumbai: Rising Stone-Pelting Incidents On Suburban Railway Network Spark Major Safety Concern

Published

on

Mumbai: Stone pelting incidents on Mumbai’s suburban railway network have escalated into a serious and persistent safety concern, threatening the lives of thousands of daily commuters. Despite various safety measures by Indian Railways—including the installation of iron grills on train windows—the problem continues unabated, with a new, more disturbing trend emerging: passengers, especially those standing near train doors, are becoming direct targets.

In the past few weeks alone, three women sustained serious injuries in separate stone pelting incidents on the Harbour Line, underlining the urgency of the issue. These acts, once dismissed as mischief, are now being recognized as manifestations of deeper social, psychological, and infrastructural problems.

On September 26, 28-year-old Shivani was injured on the head when a stone struck her on a CSMT–Goregaon slow local train near Reay Road station at 7:15 pm. Just days earlier, on September 18, 39-year-old Anuradha Sav suffered an eye injury near Wadala, and on September 15, 21-year-old Harshada Pawar was hit in the face near Cotton Green–Reay Road section while travelling on the footboard.

These incidents are not isolated. According to officials from Central Railway, nearly 30 stone-pelting cases are reported every year across the Mumbai division of Central Railway. However, comparatively fewer cases — around 10 to 12 — are reported on the Western Railway’s Mumbai Central division each year

On the Western Railway, most of the incidents are reported in areas like Mahim, Bandra, Kandivali, and beyond Virar. On the other hand, most of the cases on the Central Railway occur on the Harbour Line, particularly between Dockyard Road and Mankhurd. Additionally, on the Main Line, areas like Kalwa, Mumbra, Diva, and beyond Kalyan record a higher number of stone-pelting cases.

In most cases, the individuals who throw stones at trains are children. In nearly 30 per cent of the cases, those involved are either substance abusers, mentally unstable, or suffer from psychological disorders. Recently, Central Railwayth arrested Naushad Ali Abdul Wahid Sheikh, a footpath dweller from Mohammed Ali Road, Bhendi Bazaar, who has confessed to being involved in four such incidents. According to Central Railway officials, Naushad Ali Abdul Wahid Sheikh appears to be mentally unstable.

The motivations behind these acts are as complex as they are troubling. According to a senior Railway Protection Force (RPF) official, many perpetrators are children and teenagers from nearby slum areas. “For many children, this is a game or a dare,” said the official. “The thrill of hitting a moving train or watching someone duck can feel exciting to them. But they do not realise the damage they can cause.”

Dr. Harish Shetty, a noted psychiatrist, concurs: “It’s a form of vicarious pleasure for bored children. But at a deeper level, it may be an unconscious rebellion—a symbolic strike against something they see as part of a privileged world they do not belong to.”

The problem, experts say, is not just delinquency—it’s a reflection of boredom, marginalization, and lack of structured engagement for children in these communities.

AK Singh, former Principal Chief Security Commissioner of Central & Western Railways, emphasized that real change will not come through punishment alone. “These are not just mischievous acts; they are symptoms of social neglect. We need to engage with these communities empathetically—through education, sports, arts, and trust-building. When children throw stones at trains, it’s not just mischief — it’s a cry for attention from those society has left behind. “

During my tenure with Central and Western Railways, our focus was on corrective rather than punitive measures,” Singh explained. “We implemented educational and awareness drives to help children understand the dangers and consequences of their actions. Community-based sports and arts programs were introduced to provide positive outlets for their energy. Additionally, the Railway Protection Force (RPF), in collaboration with NGOs and local schools, worked to build trust and meaningful connections within these communities”

PC Sinha, former Chief Security Commissioner of Western Railway, noted that in some cases, stone pelting is also a form of anti-establishment sentiment: “Trains become a symbol of authority. For some, it’s a way to express anger towards a system that’s failed them.”

To counter the rising menace, the Railway Protection Force, Government Railway Police (GRP), and local police have intensified efforts. Regular patrolling has been stepped up, and standalone surveillance cameras with live feeds have been installed at vulnerable spots.

K.K. Ashraf (currently serving as Chief Vigilance Officer of Kochi Metro on deputation), former Senior Divisional Security Commissioner, Central Railway (Mumbai Division), spoke about his team’s multi-pronged approach: “Installing surveillance cameras completely eliminated stone-pelting at some high-risk spots. But tech isn’t enough. We launched ‘Operation Dignity’ to rehabilitate vulnerable people around the tracks—those suffering from grief, addiction, or unemployment—who might otherwise resort to antisocial behaviour” He recalled a case where a man, devastated after losing his son in a railway accident, began throwing stones out of grief and anger.

These incidents have left commuters, especially women, shaken. Manasi Jana, a Tilaknagar resident and Harbour Line commuter, expressed her fear: “Every time I stand near the door, I worry a stone might hit me. It’s terrifying.” Ashwini Nahar, a regular commuter from Chunabhatti, urged stronger police action in slum areas near the tracks: “We need more than patrolling. People need to understand that this isn’t a prank—it’s a crime.” A Multi-Dimensional Problem Needs a Multi-Pronged Solution

Stone pelting on Mumbai’s local trains is not just a law-and-order issue—it is a public safety hazard, a social issue, and a psychological cry for attention. “Addressing it requires coordinated action between the railways, police, local communities, NGOs, and mental health professionals. Only by combining enforcement with empathy, education, and engagement can Mumbai hope to put an end to this dangerous trend—and make its lifeline trains safer for the millions who depend on them every day,” said a senior railway official.

“The Government Railway Police (GRP), city police, and the Railway Protection Force (RPF), along with civil society organizations, need to adopt a more preventive and community-driven approach. This includes frequent awareness campaigns in slum communities, regular meetings with local leaders and residents, educational programs in nearby schools, community engagement through sports and arts, and the installation of surveillance systems” official further added.

Crime

Delhi Police arrest three in illicit liquor supply case

Published

on

New Delhi, Aug 22: In a major crackdown on the illegal transportation and supply of liquor, the Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS) team of the North-East District of Delhi Police arrested three persons and recovered 778 quarters of Haryana-marked illicit liquor along with two taxis allegedly used to transport the consignment.

The action was carried out on August 21, 2026, after Head Constable Deepak, along with Head Constable Anuj and Constable Mukesh, was conducting area patrolling duty near Maujpur Chowk.

At around 6:30 a.m., the police team received information from a secret informer that two taxis carrying illicit liquor from Haryana would arrive near Seelampur Metro Station. The taxis’ numbers were also shared by the informer.

Acting on the information, the police team reached the location. At around 7:30 a.m., both taxis arrived and were intercepted. Three persons were apprehended, while another individual reportedly managed to flee from the spot.

A search of the vehicles led to the recovery of 399 quarters of illicit liquor from taxi HR55AX3345 and 379 quarters from taxi DL1ZD5015, taking the total recovery to 778 quarters.

The arrested accused have been identified as Vinit Chauhan (35), owner of taxi bearing number — HR55AX3345; Akash Sharma (25), driver of taxi bearing number — DL1ZD5015; and Vishal (23), who was allegedly accompanying the other accused.

During interrogation, the accused reportedly disclosed information about the source of the illicit liquor. Police are verifying the information and conducting further investigation to identify other individuals allegedly involved in the supply chain.

A case has been registered as FIR No. 288/26 under Section 33 of the Delhi Excise Act at Seelampur Police Station. Police said none of the three arrested accused has any previous criminal involvement on record. Further investigation is underway, according to police.

Continue Reading

Business

Banks raise $72.8 billion in forex inflows till Aug 21, FCNR(B) deposits reach $65.4 billion: RBI

Published

on

New Delhi, Aug 22: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Saturday said that authorised dealer banks have raised a massive $72.848 billion in forex inflows till August 21, and a major chuck came from FCNR (B) deposits at $65.397 billion.

External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs) and Overseas Foreign Currency Borrowings (OFCBs) under Reserve Bank’s Swap facility helped raised another $7.451 billion till August 21.

RBI had introduced a special USD-INR forex swap facility covering FCNR(B) deposits, ECB and OFCB inflows on June 8, 2026.

“As already announced vide Press Release dated August 14, 2026, the Scheme is open till August 31, 2026 for FCNR(B) deposits, and up to December 31, 2026 for ECBs and OFCBs,” The Research Bank said in a statement.

The massive foreign inflows arrive as Indian banks have stepped up their efforts to attract FCNR(B) deposits by offering higher interest rates after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) suddenly cut short the deadline for its dollar-rupee swap window to August 31, from September 30.

The swap facility, announced in June to boost the inflow of dollars amid a weakening rupee, was originally available until the end of September, but the RBI abruptly shortened this by a month due to the “encouraging response” to the facility, which resulted in the required amount of foreign exchange flowing into the country.

While there may be valid reasons to justify an early closure of the RBI’s FCNR(B) deposit scheme, the most likely reason could be that the target for dollar mobilisation has already been achieved with inflows at $57 billion, and another $25-30 billion could easily flow in the remaining days of August, taking the total collections to around $85 billion, an SBI Research report said earlier this week.

According to the SBI report, “we don’t believe that the cost of swap could have been a constraining factor”.

“Our estimates show that the cumulative cost would amount to around 15 per cent of the corpus, or $10.5 billion. While this appears sizeable in absolute terms, it needs to be viewed against the scale of India’s foreign-exchange reserves rather than the FCNR(B) corpus alone,” the report argued.

Meanwhile, foreign exchange reserves jumped $9.905 billion to $716.90 billion during the week ended August 14, according to data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday. The latest increase comes a week after the country’s forex reserves had surged by $14.1 billion to $707 billion, marking their highest level in the current financial year.

The rise in reserves was supported by inflows under the RBI’s FCNR(B) deposit scheme, which began to reflect in the country’s foreign exchange reserves.

Continue Reading

National News

CJP vs villagers: Rajasthan school shifted within 24 hours in Jaipur

Published

on

Jaipur, Aug 22: A day after a dispute between the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and villagers of Rampura over an inspection of a government school in Jaipur escalated into allegations of assault, intimidation and a law-and-order breakdown, the government school was shifted to a building about 50 metres away, within 24 hours of Friday’s clash.

After the confrontation, CJP founder and convenor Abhijeet Dipke had warned of an escalation stating that he would sit on a dharna in Jaipur if steps weren’t taken within 48 hours to improve the condition of the school.

The Rampura government school was shifted to a house in the village on Saturday morning. More than 16 children were present at the new location along with two teachers.

The room being used for classes had previously operated as a grocery shop. At the time of inspection, some children were also seen studying outside in the Sun.

A blackboard had been placed outside one of the rooms, while the room itself contained a storage chest and other belongings.

Children also reported that the ceiling fan inside the room was not working, leaving them uncomfortable in the heat.

On Saturday morning, both sides filed complaints against each other at Shivdaspura police station, accusing one another of assault and creating a ruckus.

Both parties have also alleged that police personnel are putting pressure on them.

CJP national spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka alleged that party workers were assaulted in the village on Friday and that their clothes were torn. He demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible.

Ranka further alleged that people from outside the village were brought in for the attack and claimed that some of those involved were later seen with local BJP MLA Kailash Verma. He described the incident as a “pre-planned attack” and alleged that stones were used with the intention of causing serious harm.

According to Ranka, police personnel were not present at the spot despite repeated attempts to contact them. He said the CJP has made videos of the incident public and demanded an impartial investigation by the Rajasthan Police.

Ranka also alleged that Pratap Nagar police were intimidating him and putting pressure on him. He claimed police personnel were questioning CJP workers about him and his family.

In their complaint to the police, villagers alleged that the CJP had disturbed the atmosphere in Rampura.

They claimed that the arrival of a large number of people, allegedly carrying weapons, created fear in the village and that children were now frightened to attend school.

The villagers have denied the allegations made by CJP workers and sought action over what they described as intimidation and disorder.

Villagers said they want the government to reconstruct the school building at the earliest so that classes can resume properly within the village.

Reacting to the developments, Ranka said the CJP would not be intimidated and would continue its ‘School Thik Karo’ campaign over the condition of government schools.

He alleged that Education Minister Madan Dilawar would face embarrassment over the condition of Rajasthan’s schools and said he would personally visit schools again.

Ranka also said the CJP’s demand could now extend beyond school-related issues to seeking Dilawar’s resignation.

Meanwhile, Dilawar posted on social media that continuous efforts were being made to strengthen government schools in Rajasthan, including infrastructure development, construction and repairs, smart classrooms, laboratories and other essential facilities.

The allegations made by both sides have yet to be independently established.

The police investigation and the FIRs filed by the two parties are expected to determine the sequence of events and responsibility for Friday’s clash.

Continue Reading

Trending