SALEM: The Railway Protection Force (RPF) on Sunday arrested eight minor boys near Salem for pelting the Coimbatore-Chennai Vande Bharat Express with stones. The minors were presented before the Juvenile Justice Board and were released on Sunday evening after formalities.The stone-pelting happened in the Veerapandi area near Salem on May 28. Windowpanes of some coaches were broken, causing fear among passengers. “RPF personnel, supported by local police, began investigations at once and traced the boys involved in the stone-pelting incident,” an RPF official said.“The arrested boys belonged to nearby areas. They did it for fun. Initial police action has been taken, and further investigation is under way to determine if someone had instigated them,” the officer stated.Railway authorities appealed to residents to assist them in protecting the trains. They cautioned that strict legal actions would be taken against those involved in stone-pelting incidents.
