Police probing link to Paramakudi violence

RAJAPALAYAM: The police are probing a posssible link between an attempt to derail the superfast ‘Podhigai’ Express on Tuesday and the violence that broke out at Paramakudi on Sunday.The bid to derail the train  was averted at the last minute thanks to prompt action by the engine driver of the Express on Tuesday  morning. The train was brought to a halt after the engine dashed against a cement sleeper that had been placed across the track.The superfast ‘Podhigai’ Express from Chennai reached Rajapalayam station on Tuesday morning.  After a brief stop at the station, the train started moving. At Cholapuram, next to Rajapalayam, a cement sleeper had been placed across the track and the speeding train hit the sleeper. On hearing a loud noise, the driver stopped the train.  When it reached the Sankarankovil station, railway officials inspected the engine and said that the cow-catcher of the train had been damaged. After this was set right, the Express train set out  for Shenkottai around  10.30 am.  Following the incident, patrolling along the track between Virudhunagar and Shenkottai has been intensified and security in the trains had been increased.Meanwhile, Rajapalayam and railway police officers were conducting inquiries to ascertain whether this attempt had anything to do with the violence that broke out at Paramakudi on  Sunday.