Goods train derails on track damaged by Gujjars

Jaipur, May 26 (UNI) A goods train derailed on the tracks damaged by Gujjars demanding ST status, near Bandikui on the Agra-Delhi section today.

A police spokesman said engine and six wagons of the train were derailed at around 0400 hrs between Ghasi Nagar and Bewai 8 Km from Bandikui junction.

The table salt ladden train was heading for Agra. No body was hurt in the mishap He said a mob of Gujjar protesters had damaged the tracks on the stretch of over one kilometer late last night.

The situation in Pillukapura near Bayana and Sikandara in Dausa district continued to be tense as Gujjars were still sitting on a 'dharna' with bodies of the deceased.

The Army has been deployed around Pillukapura. Eight columns of the Army have been deployed around the dharna site situation between Pillukapura and Kanvaria villages about 13 Km from Bayana.

In a bid to mount pressure on the protesters for lifting the dharna and allowing cremation of the deceased, the Army personnel were gradually moving closer to the site.

Senior IAS and Principal Secretary Water Resources S N Thanvi, who is stationed at Bayana to supervise the officials in dealing with the situation, said that efforts were being made to persuade the protestors to handover the bodies of victims to the authorities for post-mortem.

Mr Thanvi expressed the hope that the agitating Gujjars might agree to remove the bodies by the evening.

The Gujjar protestors were sitting on dharna at Pillukapura with bodies of 12 deceased since May 23 while five bodies of Sikandara firing victims were lying at the dharna site since May 24.

The Army and Para Military forces were also deployed at Sikandara. A total of 17 columns of the Army have been sent to the affected and sesnsitive areas.

Elsewhere in the the state, agitating Gujjars today staged rasta-roko at a number of places including Udaipur and Jhalawar.

In Udaipur, they blocked Jaipur-Udaipur Ahmadabad Highway while in Jhalawar they disrupted traffic on Kota Indore Highway.

Train services in the state were disrupted since May 23 as most of the trains were diverted and some train services were suspended.

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