Incident involving iron pole on Rampur railway track given false communal spin

What is the claim?

A photo circulating on social media depicts a metal rod on a railway track, accompanied by claims that members of the Muslim community deliberately placed it there to derail a train. The image has been shared with hashtags like #railjihad, and viral posts assert that this incident occurred in Rampur, a city in Uttar Pradesh, India.

A user on X (formerly Twitter), 'sonofbharat7,' who is known for spreading misinformation, shared the image with a Hindi caption that translates to: “Thousands of Hindus were almost killed… a metal rod was placed on the railway track behind the Muslim colony by terrorists in Rampur to derail the train, but the loco pilot of the Dehradun Express managed to use the emergency brake in time and save thousands of Hindus.” 

This post has garnered 167,000 views, 2,900 reposts, and 5,000 likes. An archived version can be accessed here. Other posts have similarly blamed the Muslim community for the incident, with archives available here, here, and here.

Screeshots of the viral posts. (Source: X/Facebook/Screenshots/Modifed by Logically Facts)

However, the arrested accused do not belong to the Muslim community, the police has confirmed.  

How did we find the truth?

Through relevant keyword searches, we discovered a news report from ABP News, published on September 22, 2024. The report states that the Government Railway Police (GRP) in Rampur arrested Sandeep Chauhan and Vijendra, alias Tinku, for placing an iron pole on the railway track. They were attempting to steal the pole and, upon seeing an oncoming train, dropped it on the tracks and fled.

According to the report, the incident came to light on September 18, when the loco pilot of the Naini Jan Shatabdi Express, traveling from Dehradun to Kathgodam, noticed the iron pole on the tracks in the Bilaspur police station area of Rampur. The pilot applied the emergency brakes, preventing a potential accident. Following this, the railway and police administrations launched an investigation, registering a report against unknown individuals. The report noted that 16 criminal cases are already registered against Chauhan and two against Vijendra, both of whom reside in the Bilaspur area of Rampur district.

Amar Ujala reported that the GRP obtained CCTV footage showing two individuals stealing the pole. Based on this footage, police conducted several raids and arrested the suspects on September 22.

We found no news reports identifying the accused as Muslims.

What did the Police say?

Logically Facts contacted Mukesh Kumar, the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Rampur GRP, who confirmed that neither accused is Muslim. “Both Sandeep and Vijender are Hindus. They were intoxicated and habitual offenders. They were attempting to steal the rod and fell onto the tracks due to the stones present there. Upon seeing the lights of an approaching train, they dropped the pole and fled,” he stated.

Kumar added, “A case has been registered against both individuals under Section 150 of the Railway Act, which carries a punishment of up to 10 years or life imprisonment. Additionally, they face charges of theft and have been remanded to jail.”

He further described Sandeep and Vijender as repeat offenders, noting that several cases have been filed against them previously.

On September 22, 2024, the SP GRP Moradabad's X account (archived here) provided details of the incident, including images of the arrest of both suspects, Sandeep and Vijender.

Screenshot of the x-post by SP GRP Moradabad. (Source: x/screenshot)

The verdict

Our investigation clearly indicates that both individuals involved in the incident of placing the iron pole on the railway track in Rampur belong to the Hindu community. They were in the process of stealing the pole, but upon noticing an incoming train, they abandoned it on the tracks and escaped.