Firozabad:
In first ‘selfie arrest’ in Uttar Pradesh, three teens were arrested for stopping Rajdhani Express by putting stones on its track to click selfies. The incident took place in Firozabad district of Uttar Pradesh on May 25. The teens aged between 13-16 blocked the track at the Tundla - Etmadpur over bridge.
Not just stones, the minors also used bricks and tree branches to block the track in order to ‘halt’ the train for a bizarre motive – taking selfies with Rajdhani Express. When they blocked the track, the New Delhi bound Patna-New Delhi Rajdhani Express reached there. The loco pilot applied the emergency brake as soon as he noticed the obstruction.
"The pilot informed the RPF personnel who were escorting the train and the youths were arrested. We recovered a digital camera and smartphones from their possession," RPF commander Anand Kumar said. "We also found dozens of pictures (selfies) of the youths with trains in the background from the camera and mobile phones," he added. The youths also gave a 'shocking' explanation for the dangerous act.”
"They told us during interrogation that they had clicked pictures with many trains including passenger and good trains but as Rajdhani runs on a high speed, they were not successful in clicking selfies even after repeated attempts for the past few days," Kumar said. "So they decided to stop the train," the RPF commander added.
However, the trio was later released on bail with a stern warning after they were produced in the juvenile court of Mathura district. They all were booked under Section 154 (endangering safety of persons travelling by rail by rash or negligent act or omission) of the Railway Protection Act, said RPF officials.
