This Article is From Sep 17, 2009

Stone-pelting on Rahul's train was a prank?

PTI image

New Delhi: The ongoing investigations into the stone-pelting incident on the Ludhiana-Delhi Shatabdi Express in which Rahul Gandhi was travelling, have revealed that the act was probably a prank rather than an attempt to attack the Congress MP.

Two boys, both casual labourers under 16 years of age, have been detained for the stoning of the train. They have been charged under Section 152 of the Railway Act relating to damaging the Railway property.

They have been kept in a remand home right now. Another casual labourer, 21-year-old Parveen, was let off as he was not found to be involved in the incident.

The sons of daily labourers, these boys were picked up on suspicion of having stoned the Shatabdi Express near Gharonda in Haryana.

"We caught three people, released one and arrested two," said V Kamaraja, IG Rohtak Range.

The boys revealed during questioning that they stoned the train just for fun, as they used to roam around the area surrounding the tracks regularly whenever they were free from their daily menial jobs.

"We have not been told why our children have been picked up. They first picked up some rich people's children and then let them off under pressure," said the mother of one of the boys.

"I'm very ill, my son was the only one to make food for me. We don't even know where the police took him," said the mother of another child.

The case has now been handed over the GRP for further investigation.
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