In a concerning incident, the Railway Police in Hospet, Vijayanagara district, have taken swift action against a few Islamist youth perpetrators who threatened to set ablaze a train returning from Ayodhya. The incident occurred on Thursday night, February 22nd, prompting authorities to step up security measures at Hospet Railway Station.
The Railway Police filed a First Information Report (FIR) under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and have apprehended one Islamist perpetrator, identified as Sheikh Khan. Efforts are underway to locate at least two other individuals involved in the case.
Based on the reports of Kannada Prabha, a special train carrying pilgrims from Ayodhya made a scheduled stop at Hospet around 8 pm on Thursday, but the journey was disrupted for about two hours in Hospet, Vijayanagara district. This interruption occurred due to an incident involving a group of Islamist extremist youths threatening to set fire to the train returning from Ayodhya. Passengers protested at the Hospet Railway Station, accusing the Islamist youths of not only threatening to set the train on fire but also repeatedly provoking with their statements against Hindu Dharma. The Mysuru-Ayodhya Dham train, transporting hundreds of devotees of Bhaghvan Ram, experienced a delay due to the disruption caused by the actions of the youth perpetrators.
Around 1500 devotees of Bhagwan Ram were traveling aboard the Mysuru-Ayodhya Dham train. During this time, the devotees were chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ along the route. However, approximately four Islamist youths engaged in a verbal altercation with the Ram devotees, causing disruption on the train. Tensions escalated as a verbal altercation erupted between the two groups. People reported that the four men hurled abuses at the pilgrims against Hindu Dharma and threatened to set the train on fire. Concerned about the escalating religious tensions against Hindus, the pilgrims handed over the Islamist youths to the police. However, initial reports from the Deccan Herald suggest that the police released the individuals without filing a formal case, triggering unrest among the pilgrims gathered at Hospet Police Station.
The Railway Police have initiated legal proceedings under IPC sections 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings). One of the suspects managed to flee the scene, while another was subsequently apprehended at Gadag Railway Station.
Security measures at Hospet Railway Station were immediately heightened to prevent any untoward incidents and to secure and safeguard pilgrims from the Hindu community.
