Two arrested for pelting empty liquor bottle at Vande Bharat Express in Salem

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) of the Salem Division arrested two persons on Wednesday (September 2, 2026) in connection with an incident in which an object – later identified as an empty liquor bottle – hit the window glass of an air-conditioned coach of the Madurai-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express while the train was passing between Mallur and Salem on August 23.

According to the Salem Railway Division, the incident occurred when Train No. 20671 was running between Mallur and Salem. No passenger was injured. A case was registered at the RPF Salem Post under Section 153 of the Railways Act. A special team was formed under the supervision of the RPF Inspector, Salem, on the directions of the Divisional Security Commissioner, Salem, to identify those involved.

Following intensive surveillance along the Salem-Mallur section, the RPF apprehended two persons, Rangasamy, 35, and Devendran, 39, on August 25. During inquiry, they reportedly told the RPF that they had thrown an empty liquor bottle onto the railway track. The bottle was hit by the moving train and projected towards the window of the coach, the division said in a release. The two were produced before a court in Salem and remanded in judicial custody. The RPF has also intensified surveillance and awareness measures in vulnerable areas to prevent such incidents.

The Salem Railway Division appealed to the public not to throw stones or any other objects at moving trains or on railway tracks, as such acts could endanger passengers and railway staff and damage railway property. It also urged people to immediately alert railway authorities about any suspicious activity near railway tracks, the release said.