113 people suffered injuries in 118 cases of stone pelting on Mumbai railway network

As many as 113 people have sustained injuries in 118 incidents of stone-pelting on the Mumbai suburban railway network in the last six-and-half-years, according to data obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

However, the police have been able to detect only 21 cases.

Sharing details of the same, RTI activist Shakeel Ahmad Sheikh said that most of the stone-pelting incidents took place on Central Railway between 2013 to June 2019.

"Stone-pelting incidents have been on the rise in the last few months. I had asked the Railway police to provide me with the statistics of such incidents and how many people have been arrested and how many cases the police managed to detect," he told on Monday.

"The data itself is so shocking. Between 2013 to June 2019, 118 incidents took place and 113 commuters were injured. The Government Railway Police (GRP) has managed to detect only 21 cases," the RTI activist said.

On Central Railway, 84 stone-pelting incidents were reported and 81 people were injured. The GRP could solve 15 cases and 13 suspects have been arrested till now, the RTI data revealed.

Most stone-pelting incidents have taken place on Central Railway.

On the Harbour Line between Panvel and Wadala, 21 such cases were reported and 18 people sustained injuries. The GRP has solved just five cases and six suspects have been arrested, the RTI data stated.

13 stone-pelting incidents were reported from Churchgate to Palghar stretch on Western Railway. While 14 people were injured, the GRP managed to crack just one case.

In 2005, the Bombay High Court had passed an order directing railway authorities to put up safety boundaries on both sides of the tracks to prevent such incidents. However, the Railways are yet to begin the work.

"If they would have started the work, such incidents would have almost completely stopped," Sheikh said.

Thane GRP jurisdiction saw at least 35 stone-pelting incidents injuring 40 people since 2013, which is the highest under the jurisdiction of Mumbai GRP Commissionerate, according to the RTI data.

( With inputs from ANI )