The Pune Railway police are investigating an alarming incident wherein a flaming mobile phone was hurled at the Aastha Special train. Suspicions are raised that the perpetrator may have disembarked between Chinchwad and Dehu Road stations, as the train had briefly halted due to chain pulling. The unsettling event transpired shortly after the train's pause between Chinchwad and Dehu Road stations. Panic ensued among passengers when a burning object was tossed into seat number 47 of the S-20 coach around 7:52 PM on February 6, 2024.
The victim, identified as 68-year-old Chhaya Haribhau Kashid from Balaji Nagar Jijamata Chowk in Pune, was seated in coach S-20 when the flaming object struck her. Startled, she promptly moved to safety, while fellow passengers attempted to douse the flames with water. Fortunately, the coach's cleaners arrived swiftly with a fire extinguisher and managed to extinguish the blaze. Subsequent investigation revealed that the burning object was indeed a mobile phone. Police suspect that the perpetrator intentionally threw the inflammable object into the coach from the window of seat number 47, endangering the lives and well-being of passengers aboard the train. Efforts are underway to apprehend the individual responsible for this reckless act.
Following the sacred ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony on January 22, the Railways has introduced 200 Aastha special trains. These trains aim to facilitate devotees’ journeys from 66 different locations across the nation to Ayodhya. Indian Railways has approximately 200 additional special train services in the works, with a focus on operational stoppages. These trains are slated to run from various cities for 100 days after the Ram Mandir opening ceremony.