Vapi: The Railway Protection Force (RPF) in Vapi has arrested three individuals involved in railway signal cable theft in two separate operations, preventing losses worth lakhs of rupees and ensuring the swift restoration of train services.

On the night of April 15, 2026, at around 8:45 pm, a track circuit failure was reported between Vapi and Udwada stations. An RPF team, along with personnel from the Signal Department, rushed to the spot and found that an attempt had been made to steal signal cables. Acting promptly, the RPF caught Umesh Sahani (35) red-handed with the stolen cable. The Signal Department estimated the loss in the incident at ₹1.44 lakh.

Earlier, on April 14, track failures were reported in the Vapi–Karambeli and Vapi–Udwada sections. During the investigation, the RPF, assisted by the CPDS team and a dog squad, conducted a combing operation in the forested and bushy areas of Bhilkhadi. Two accused Aman Pandey (22) and Rohit (20) were apprehended, and stolen copper cables along with a hexa blade were recovered from their possession.

Railway officials stated that the damaged signal systems were repaired on priority, allowing train operations to resume, although some services were briefly affected.

Preliminary investigations revealed that Umesh Sahani is a habitual offender with prior involvement in similar crimes. All three accused have been booked and will be produced before a railway court in Surat.

The railway administration has urged citizens to assist in safeguarding railway property and to report any suspicious activity via the RPF helpline 139. DeshGujarat