Attempts to blow up railway tracks at two different places in Gulbarga district were thwarted on Saturday, North-east Range Inspector General of Police (IGP) Suresh K Mohammed told Express.
Some locals in Malakhed town of Sedam taluk noticed four unidentified men placing some explosive material on a railway track.
Their suspicions aroused, the residents went closer to the explosives, removed them from the track and informed Railway officials.
However, it was found that the explosives placed on the track were not connected with fuse wires.
A similar incident took place in Mogha Thanda of Chittapur taluk of the district, 5 km from Malakhed.
Railway gangman Tulajaram noticed four people placing explosives on a railway track.
When he asked them what they were doing, they manhandled him and fled the scene.
IGP Suresh K Mohammed said the explosives that were recovered from both the spots are normally used to blast mines.
He said the miscreants were seen asking people when the Bangalore-Hyderabad passenger train would pass by the area.
It seems like they were planning to blow up the passenger train, IGP Suresh said.
Experts from Bangalore are expected to arrive in Gulbarga on Sunday to examine the explosives.
The IGP said the same gang had placed the explosives on both the tracks.
He said a major disaster had been averted due to the alertness of gangman Tulajaram.
When asked if Tulajaram would be rewarded for his quick-thinking, the senior police officer said it was up to the Railways to decide.
He, however, commended the gangman for his actions.
The miscreants were speaking in Marathi and Telugu, the IGP said, adding that search teams have been sent to different places.
This is the first time explosives have been found on railway tracks in Gulbarga district. Gulbarga Superintendent of Police Amit Singh and IGP Suresh visited both the spots.