Watch: CCTV Captures Man Throwing Suspicious Object At Howrah Station Before Fire, Probe Underway

Security agencies have initiated an investigation following a video recording of a man allegedly dropping a packet like object near the cab road area at Howrah railway station in Kolkata on Tuesday afternoon, and causing a small fire. The event has put security in question at one of the busiest railway stations in India, and this is more noticeable especially after a fire was reported a few minutes later on the Howrah-Raxaul Mithila Express. Police as well as railway officials have now started to check, whether the two incidents are somehow connected, or if any anti-social elements were involved.

Watch The CCTV Footage

According to reports, the second fire broke out near the toilet segment in one compartment of the Mithila Express while it was still at Howrah station, before the train left. Passengers reportedly sensed smoke and quickly informed the railway staff. The security team then moved fast and extinguished the flames. During the later probing, police reviewed CCTV footage from the station and pointed out a man who, it is said, was tossing a ‘suspicious’ packet like object near the cab road around 2:38 PM. The item was said to have caught fire only seconds after, and that’s when police began a detailed drive to figure out and trace the man seen in the video.

Taken as the oldest, and also the most crowded railway station in the country, Howrah sees over a million people travel to and from its 24 platforms every single day. The incidents raised immediate concern of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and other security agencies as the operations are on a large scale and commuters were so many in the station every day. The timing of the fires, and the ‘suspicious use’ of CCTV equipment, led to fears of possible sabotage or deliberate efforts to cause panic in the railway network. Railway workers have been questioned to find out if there was a scheme behind the incidents and CCTV footage from various parts of the station is being scrutinised.

What Did The Railway Ministry Say?

The Railway Ministry said in a statement, “Following a report of a fire in a coach of the Mithila Express while it was stationed at Howrah, an investigation was conducted which led to the recovery of a half-burnt piece of cloth soaked in petrol.” “Railway staff demonstrated promptness and brought the situation under immediate control, thereby averting a major disaster. The preliminary circumstances suggest that certain anti-social elements are attempting to jeopardise passenger safety and sow fear and disorder within the railway system. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) and relevant agencies are conducting serious investigations into all these matters,” the ministry said. 

(With ANI Inputs)

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