The Chennai Railway Police were stunned recently by the confession of a man who admitted to deliberately damaging train tracks. The individual, masquerading as a sadhu, claimed his actions were driven by revenge after being repeatedly thrown off trains for traveling without a valid ticket.

The incidents, which involved tampering with railway tracks in both Tamil Nadu and Telangana, had previously sparked considerable alarm. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) even joined the investigation, indicating the seriousness with which authorities viewed the situation. However, the culprit turned out to be a 43-year-old man from Odisha, identified as Vijaykumar, who had dropped out of school after the 12th grade.

Vijaykumar adopted the alias "Om from Haridwar," attempting to project the image of a wandering godman on a spiritual quest. He reportedly held the belief that as a "godman," he was not obligated to purchase train tickets, considering himself above such mundane rules. This sense of entitlement, coupled with the frustration of being repeatedly ejected from trains, allegedly fueled his acts of sabotage.

According to GRP superintendent I. Eswaran, the accused confessed to placing metal objects and stones on railway tracks, driven by anger over his experiences. Fortunately, his actions did not result in any major disasters. One near-miss occurred in Arakkonam, where metal rods and stones were found wedged across six rail joints. A potential accident was averted only because the loco pilot of the Tirupati-Puducherry Express noticed a signal anomaly and managed to halt the train in time.

Vijaykumar's pattern of sabotage came to light following his arrest in Hyderabad, where he had tampered with tracks between Kacheguda and Budvel. Investigations revealed that his "Om from Haridwar" persona was fabricated. Authorities found no record of anyone by that name in Haridwar. Instead, they discovered his true identity and that he had previously worked as an electrician in various states before residing at a mutt near Tiruttani. It was during his time at the mutt that he adopted the guise of a godman and developed the conviction that he was exempt from the requirement of purchasing train tickets.

Following his arrest, Vijaykumar was brought to Chennai on a transit remand and subsequently remanded to judicial custody. He is currently lodged in Puzhal prison. The case highlights the potential dangers posed by individuals who, motivated by perceived grievances, resort to acts of vandalism and sabotage targeting critical infrastructure. It also raises questions about security measures and the need for vigilance to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. The incident also prompted Southern Railway to make probes into possible sabotage mandatory at accident sites.