Pics: Ramesh Pandith
Daijiworld Media Network—Mangalore (BG)
Mangalore, May 14: An angry mob protesting against the railways for not opening the Padil railway gate for a long time, stopped the movement of all the trains and stood in the middle of the tracks.
The gate had been closed for a train to pass by around 7.30 pm and even after one train passed by, the gate was not opened. As the queue of vehicles grew, lots of people gathered around the spot. The gate was not opened till 7.50 pm.
The angry mob then started to protest against the railway department and the gate-keeper on the spot. As the crowd grew, they asked the gate-keeper to call their station master to the spot, but he didn’t turn up.
Angered more by this, the protestors started pelting stones at the gate-keeper’s room near the railway gate damaging its window glasses and the bulb outside. They also damaged the railway gate. When the gate-keeper came to open the gate, they even tried to assault him and asked him not to open the gate until the station master arrives and gives a proper reason for the delay.
One of the photojournalist who tried to take a photo of the mob was also assaulted by them and their camera was damaged. Later, seeing the bad situation on the spot, as many as 12 to 15 police jeeps including the DCP, ACP, crime DCP, and other police officials and policemen visited the spot and made further arrangements to control the mob and make way to the free movement of vehicles and trains.
More details are awaited.