NAGAON, June 3 - In an effort to skip the strict institutional quarantine at COVID Care Centre, more than 60 passengers coming from Mumbai to Dibrugarh pulled the emergency chain of a Shramik Special Train about 300/400 metres away from the Hojai Railway Station at around 2 am on Wednesday and attempted to escape.
This incident has intensified the fear of the epidemic among the people of Hojai.
Sources said that the Dibrugarh-bound passenger train was scheduled to stop at Chapormukh Railway Station and Lumding Railway Station. But, when the train left Hojai Railway Station, someone pulled the chain stopping the train just 300/400 metres away from the Hojai Railway Station.
However, Railway Protection Force escort staff were able to apprehend 56 passengers on the spot. Later, the Railway force brought all the 56 passengers to the Hojai Railway Station and called the medical surveillance teams for health screening.
In the meantime, senior police officials of Hojai district rushed to the railway station and launched a search operation in and around the town to nab the passengers who were able to escape from the spot. During the search operation, Hojai police were able to pick up rest of the passengers from their respective homes at Hojai and nearby places.
Speaking to this correspondent over telephone, Superintendent of Police Ankur Jain confirmed that around 56 passengers were picked up on spot and other five were picked up from their houses.
Besides, the local VDP and other village headmen are also being roped in to gather information about the passengers who had escaped from the train, the SP said, adding that if anyone escaped and was still hiding, strict action would be taken against them.
