MMTS services cancelled as student set compartment afire

Following the torching of a compartment of an MMTS train, allegedly by the activists of the Telangana Students Joint Action Committee at the Jamia Osmania station, the South Central Railway on Monday suspended MMTS services on Faluknama-Secunderabad section till further notice.

The move had an immediate impact on the city roads, where chaos reigned after the police blockaded all roads leading to and passing near the state Legislative Assembly.

The train compartment was torched when suspected students chose to target the compartment of the locomotive after splashing kerosene inside it. They then ignited the compartment and fled. However, the Railway police immediately put off the fire and no one was injured in the incident.

The alleged students were on the warpath following the ‘Chalo Assembly’ called by the Osmania Students JAC. The march to the Assembly went out of hand with the students pelting stones at the Necklace Road Railway station. The stone pelting resulted in the reservation counter, and the furniture inside it, being damaged.

The students also pelted stones at several trains passing on the section.

Sensing the situation going out of control, the South Central Railway immediately cancelled all MMTS services runs between Faluknuma-Secunderabad section putting passengers to lot of inconvenience. The SCR also cancelled reservation service and passenger tickets facility in all the counters.