Unidentified woman’s head found lodged above cattle guard; murder probe launched
A severed head of an unidentified woman was found lodged above the cattle guard at the front of the Ranchi-bound Janshatabdi Express when it arrived at Bokaro station on Saturday, railway and police officials said. The woman is believed to be about 50 years old.
The incident came to light after a fresh locomotive crew, which had taken charge of train No. 12365 at Gomoh, detected a persistent, putrefying odour inside the engine and carried out a search, senior railway officials said. On inspecting the exterior near the locomotive coupler, they discovered the severed head lodged in a gap above the cattle guard.
Teams from the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Government Railway Police (GRP) rushed to the station and recovered the remains. The discovery delayed the train by nearly an hour; it departed Bokaro at 12.35 pm, officials said.
“After receiving information about the foul smell, RPF and GRP teams inspected the engine. A severed head was found lodged in a gap near the cattle guard at the front of the locomotive. How it reached there, who placed it there and the identity of the woman are being investigated,”
RPF Adra senior commandant Om Prakash Mohanty made the comment above while describing the ongoing probe. Vikas Kumar, senior divisional commercial manager of the Adra railway division, confirmed that the crew had noticed a strong smell and subsequently located the remains during an external inspection.
Actions taken and lines of inquiry
Police said they were treating the matter as a suspected murder and had initiated formal investigations. At the scene, officials documented the locomotive and surrounding area, recovered the head, and began enquiries aimed at establishing the victim’s identity and the circumstances that led to the remains being found on the engine.
- RPF and GRP teams inspected the locomotive and recovered the severed head.
- Train No. 12365 was delayed by nearly an hour; it left Bokaro at 12.35 pm.
- Police have opened a murder investigation and are probing how the head came to be lodged on the locomotive.
Officials did not disclose whether any forensic samples had yet yielded identifying information. There was no immediate information on whether CCTV footage from the station or tracks was available or had produced leads. The identity of the woman and the precise cause and time of death remain to be established through formal post-mortem and forensic processes.
Context and potential consequences for passengers
The finding has raised concerns about security and the possibility that human remains could be transported inadvertently on moving rolling stock, posing a public-health and operational issue for rail services. Railway authorities and police will need to review procedures for trackside security, disposal of human remains in the vicinity of lines, and checks on locomotives before long-distance runs.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Train | Ranchi-bound Janshatabdi Express (No. 12365) |
| Location of discovery | Above cattle guard, front of locomotive, Bokaro station |
| Estimated age of victim | About 50 years |
| Delay to service | Nearly one hour; departed Bokaro at 12.35 pm |
Investigating agencies are expected to await forensic examination and post-mortem results to determine time and cause of death and to identify the woman. The RPF and GRP will coordinate with local police for any further criminal enquiries and to pursue leads that may arise from checks of stations, trains and nearby localities.
Authorities have not released further operational details or a timeline for the completion of formal procedures. The probe is ongoing.
