CHENNAI: Personnel of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) from Tambaram arrested a 25-year-old man near the Singaperumal Koil railway station for allegedly attempting to derail trains so that he could create Instagram reels of them.
The accused, identified as Balamurugan from Thiruvarur district, had been working at a private factory in Oragadam, Sriperumbudur, and staying in a rented room in Singaperumal Koil. According to RPF officials, Balamurugan’s obsession with Instagram saw him developing a "bizarre desire" to witness and film a train derailment firsthand and create a reel.
Investigations revealed that after work, Balamurugan would allegedly roam the railway tracks near the temple instead of returning to his room, scouting for opportunities to execute his plan.
The plot came to light after two separate incidents earlier this month. On the night of January 1, the Chennai-Thiruvananthapuram Ananthapuri Express struck a wooden log placed on the tracks near Singaperumal Koil. Fortunately, the train did not derail. Tambaram RPF cleared the obstruction and launched an inquiry. On the night of January 7, a Chennai Beach-Chengalpattu EMU train hit a wooden log placed on the tracks at the same location, prompting RPF officials to intensify night patrols along the Tambaram-Chengalpattu section.
Early on Tuesday, they spotted Balamurugan moving suspiciously near the tracks and apprehended him. RPF officers found fish plates in his bag — critical components used to join rails and sleepers — which he had reportedly removed to cause derailment.
He said he wanted to see how a train tumbles off the tracks and wanted to film it for Instagram
RPF officer
"We are investigating from all angles, including how this dangerous fixation developed and the role of social media addiction," he added.