Attempt to Derail Yercaud Express Foiled

Delhi: In what could have been a major railway tragedy, an attempt to derail the Yercaud Express was narrowly averted on Tuesday night, as the train was travelling between Erode and Chennai. Among the passengers were three sitting judges and two retired judges of the Madras High Court, all of whom escaped unhurt. The train, which had departed around 9 PM, was carrying Justices N. Sathish Kumar, G.K. Ilanthiraiyan, and Krishnan Ramasamy, as well as retired judges K. Kalyanasundaram and M. Govindaraj. The group had boarded the Yercaud Express after attending a condolence meet for senior advocate V.K. Muthusamy, father of Supreme Court Judge M.M. Sundresh. According to court sources, the near-disaster occurred roughly 30 minutes into the journey when the locomotive struck a piece of iron rail deliberately placed across the tracks near Sankagiri. The loco pilot's swift reaction in applying the brakes prevented the coaches from running over the obstruction, averting a potential catastrophe.

Railway officials and security agencies have launched an investigation into the sabotage attempt. The presence of high-ranking judicial officials aboard the train has heightened the urgency of the probe, with authorities treating the case as a serious security breach.