In a shocking incident, three judges of the Madras High Court had a miraculous escape after an alleged train derailment attempt. The incident raised serious concerns over their safety and caused calls for thorough investigation.
Three judges from the Madras High Court, along with two retired judges and hundreds of other passengers on the Yercaud Express, narrowly escaped a potential train derailment on the night of June 17, 2025, after the train crossed Sankagiri.
According to sources from the court, Justices N. Sathish Kumar, G.K. Ilanthiraiyan, and Krishnan Ramasamy, as well as former judges K. Kalyanasundaram and M. Govindaraj, boarded the train around 9 PM after paying their respects to the late senior advocate V.K. Muthusamy, who was also the father of Justice M.M. Sundresh of the Supreme Court.
Shortly after departing, the train’s engine struck an iron piece placed across the tracks.
The loco pilot acted swiftly by applying the brakes, successfully avoiding a significant accident that could have occurred had the train coaches also passed over the obstruction.
Following the incident, the train’s engine was replaced, and passengers were safely transported to Chennai by Wednesday morning, albeit with a delay of about three hours.
According to railway sources, the locomotive collided with a 10-foot-long iron rod suspected to be a piece of rail track deliberately placed across the tracks near Kaligoundampalayam in the Sankari block.
The engine dragged the obstruction for nearly 300 meters before the loco pilot managed to bring the train to a sudden stop, averting what could have been a disastrous derailment.
As a result of the impact, the engine’s brake lining became jammed, rendering the locomotive unusable. Fortunately, none of the coaches were damaged, and there were no reported injuries among the passengers.
Upon inspection, the loco pilots discovered the iron rod lodged beneath the engine.
Officials from the Salem Railway Division, the Railway Protection Force (RPF), and the local Magudanchavadi police quickly arrived at the scene. The obstruction was cleared, and a relief engine was sent from Erode.
The train resumed its journey around 11:45 PM, with passengers safely arriving in Chennai early Wednesday morning after a delay of about three hours.
Railway authorities are taking the incident seriously, considering it a deliberate attempt to derail the train. An investigation has been initiated, and surveillance footage from the nearby area is being reviewed.
The incident also caused delays for several other trains on the Erode-Chennai route. In response, officials have ordered increased patrolling and track inspections in the area to prevent similar sabotage incidents in the future.