Signal Sabotage: The Midnight Chase on Andhra's Tracks

The Andhra Pradesh Government Railway Police opened fire in the early hours of Tuesday after two individuals, suspected of tampering with railway signals, threw stones at a patrol unit near Nidubrolu railway station in Guntur district.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Guntur, P Akkeshwar Rao, reported that the altercation happened around 2.30 am at the 377th milestone when officers on regular patrol observed suspicious activities near a railway signal. The suspects, upon confrontation, retaliated, leading police to discharge 10 rounds in self-defense. The suspects fled into nearby fields.

Investigations revealed the suspects belong to a gang known for halting trains to rob passengers. They previously used emergency chain pulling on trains. The police recovered tampering tools from the scene and have initiated a case as they search for the absconders.

(With inputs from agencies.)