Court sentences 6 people for 2016 train derailment plot in Bihar
A National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court in Patna has sentenced six people for their involvement in a 2016 terror plot to derail a train in Bihar's East Champaran.
by Aditya Vaibhav · India TodayIn Short
- Group of people planted IED in pressure cooker near Ghorasahan station
- Convicts found guilty under UAPA for train derailment conspiracy.
- Three of the nine accused are still absconding
A National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court in Patna has sentenced six people for their involvement in a 2016 terror plot to derail a train in Bihar's East Champaran.
The convicts, identified as Motilal Paswan, Ranjay Kumar Sah, Mukesh Yadav, Rakesh Kumar Yadav, Gajendra Kumar Sharma, and Umashankar Patel, were found guilty under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other charges.
The NIA court, presided over by Special Judge Abhijit Kumar, ruled that the prosecution had proven the group conspired to derail a train and cause mass casualties.
The court sentenced Umashankar Patel, Gajendra Sharma, and Motilal Paswan to 12 years in prison and fined them Rs 30,000, Rs 30,000, and Rs 15,000, respectively. Rakesh Yadav, Ranjay Sah, and Mukesh Yadav were sentenced to nine years each and penalised between Rs 6,000 and Rs 12,000.
The group planted an improvised explosive device (IED) in a pressure cooker on the railway tracks near Ghorasahan station on the India-Nepal border in 2016. Authorities defused the IED in time, preventing a tragedy. Investigations revealed the plot was supported by Pakistan's intelligence agency, ISI, which had allegedly provided financial assistance to locals to carry out the operation.
Of the nine chargesheeted in the case, three are still absconding.