Iron rod on rail tracks: Two arrested identified as Sandeep, Bijendra; police reject conspiracy claims

A photograph has gone viral on social media showing an iron pole on railway tracks. It is being shared with the claim that the pole was intentionally placed by terrorists near a Muslim colony in Rampur district of Uttar pradesh as a conspiracy to derail the Dehradun Express. It is also claimed that the loco pilot saved the train from a major accident by applying emergency brakes in time. This claim has been shared using hashtags such as #RailJihad and #TrainJihad.’

Jitendra Pratap Singh, a verified X user, shared the image, claiming, “Conspiracy to derail the Naini Doon Express in Rampur: A 7-meter long iron pole was placed on the railway track; the loco pilot applied emergency brakes. The railway track runs through a Muslim-populated area.” (Archived link)

रामपुर में नैनी दून एक्सप्रेस पलटाने की साजिश:

रेलवे ट्रैक पर रखा 7 मीटर लोहे का लंबा खंभा;

लोको पायलट ने इमरजेंसी ब्रेक लगाए

रेलवे ट्रैक पर यही खंभा रखा था।

ट्रेक के दोनों तरफ मुस्लिम आबादी है pic.twitter.com/0Q4qguUcOY

— 🇮🇳Jitendra pratap singh🇮🇳 (@jpsin1) September 19, 2024

Deepak Sharma, a verified user on X who amplifies communal misinformation on a regular basis, shared the image along with the following statement: “Thousands of Hindus were saved from death… Terrorists placed an iron pole on the railway line behind the Muslim colony in Rampur with the intent of derailing the train, but the loco pilot of Dehradun Express saved lives by applying emergency brakes…When will the rail ministry open its eyes?” The tweet was later deleted. (Archived link) 

Verified Facebook user Ram Kumar (Kshatriya) also shared the photo on Facebook with a similar claim with the hashtags #railway and #railjihad. (Archived link)

Verified X user Amitabh Chaudhary wrote, “Rampur: Another incident of rail jihad, in a conspiracy to derail Dehradun Express, a long telecom pole was placed on the railway track in Bilaspur on the border of Uttarakhand. When the Dehradun Express was about to pass, the loco pilot saw it and applied emergency brakes, averting a major accident. The user posted a photo with the hashtags #TrainJihad and #IndianRailways, mentioning Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav and Indian Railway Ministry’s handle @RailMinIndia.” (Archived link)

Rampur : Yet another act of #RailJihad , plot to derail Dehradoon Express.

In Bilaspur , Uttarakhand border , a long telecom pole was kept on the railway track 🛤️ when Dehradoon Express was about to cross, the loco pilot noticed it and applied emergency breaks , and averted a… pic.twitter.com/VPIpRuAwrc

— Amitabh Chaudhary (@MithilaWaala) September 19, 2024

Readers should note that this user, too, shares communal misinformation on a regular basis.

Fact Check

Alt News began its investigation into these claims with a keyword search. This led us to a report by ABP News, dated September 19, 2024, containing some crucial details. According to the report, the incident occurred on September 18 on the 43/10-11 railway line on Bilaspur Road Rudrapur City Station, behind Balwant Enclave Colony. 

The article stated further that an old 7-metre long iron pole, used for telecommunications, had been found lying on the tracks. The loco pilot of Dehradun Express train number 12091 spotted the pole and quickly applied emergency brakes, preventing a potential accident. The loco pilot immediately alerted the station master and the Government Railway Police (GRP). Local police and railway authorities, including the Rampur superintendent of police (SP), then started investigation.

Navbharat Times published another report on September 22, 2024, revealing that two individuals had been arrested in connection with the incident. According to Moradabad Railway Police deputy superintendent Anil Kumar Verma, two individuals, Sunny alias Sania alias Sandeep Chauhan and Bijendra alias Tinku, both residents of Bilaspur in Rampur district, were arrested. Sunny was arrested from Rudrapur in Uttarakhand, while Bijendra was apprehended in Bilaspur. (Archived link)

The investigation revealed that both suspects had been drinking near the railway track on the day of the incident. They discovered the iron pole, which they attempted to steal. However, upon hearing the train’s horn, they abandoned the pole and fled. Further investigation by the police confirmed that the suspects had no affiliations with any terrorist organizations or conspiracies. Sunny, in particular, has 14 prior criminal cases registered against him in Bilaspur, and Bijendra also has a criminal record. 

This confirms that the iron pole had not deliberately been placed on the tracks or as part of any terrorist agenda, nor were the accused from the Muslim community.

The SP – GRP Moradabad tweeted to confirm the arrests and noted that the two accused had been apprehended. This official statement contradicted the claims of a deliberate attempt to cause harm by members of the Muslim community or any organised conspiracy behind the incident. (Archived link)

To sum up, the viral image of an iron pole on the railway tracks, accompanied by allegations of a Muslim-led terrorist conspiracy and a ‘train jihad’ or ‘rail jihad’ spin, is misleading.

Pawan Kumar is an intern at Alt News.