On Thursday, the Government Railway Police (GRP) of Mancherial apprehended a very risky individual who was found travelling by express train, hiding near the engine, and thus exposing himself to great peril and to railway safety.

Sadimela Jayashankar (30) from Burugupalli village in Siddipet district was identified with his Aadhaar card.

The police stated that Jayashankar took a bus from Secunderabad to Kashi, reaching there on December 28. After two days, he was on his way to Ayodhya when, as per the report, he accidentally ran into a bunch of strangers who gave him ganja and other narcotics. It is said that he ran away from them and later, he informed his family that he was on the train from Gorakhpur on December 31.

Jayashankar recounted that after some train passengers threatened him, he hid between the engine and a bogie and travelled on out of fear for his life. The GRP taking cues from the family then tracked the train and at Mancherial railway station rescued him, thus safely bringing him down from the engine area.

However, police during interrogation said that Jayashankar had given contradictory statements through which doubts about his having actually travelled from Gorakhpur as he claimed were raised. Mental distress was suspected and the GRP contacted the family who informed the authorities that the man’s behavior had been unstable for the preceding days.

The police after completing the preliminary formalities handed over the man to his family for care and monitoring.