A rail roko protest at Badlapur station in Maharashtra’s Thane district, sparked by allegations of sexual abuse involving two kindergarten students, led to significant disruptions in train services on Tuesday (August 20). The Central Railway reported that 10 long-distance trains were rerouted via alternate routes due to the protest.
Services on Ambernath-Karjat route suspended
Protesters, including many women, blocked railway tracks and halted traffic, resulting in the suspension of local train services between Ambernath and Karjat starting at 10:10 AM.
The demonstration escalated into violence, with protesters vandalizing the school where the alleged incident occurred and engaging in stone-pelting at Badlapur station, according to police.
10 mail and express trains diverted
Among the diverted trains were 10 mail and express services, including the Solapur-CSMT Vande Bharat Express, which were rerouted via Karjat, Panvel, and Thane stations.
While local train services between CSMT and Ambernath are operating normally, those between Badlapur and Karjat remain suspended.
In response, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) has increased security with additional personnel deployed along the Kalyan-Karjat section.
Senior Divisional Security Manager, along with 60 RPF jawans and 10 officials, is closely monitoring the situation at Badlapur station in coordination with the Government Railway Police (GRP).