Kochi | A probe was launched after a large grinding stone was found in the middle of a railway track near here early on Friday, police said.

The obstruction was spotted around 4 am at Pachalam after a loco pilot reported seeing the stone while passing the spot on a train, the railway police added.

Railway Police and Railway Protection Force personnel rushed to the spot and removed the stone, preventing a possible accident.

Officials said that the residents told them that the grinding stone had been lying a few metres away from the track for several years, and someone should have placed it on the track with malicious intent.

Police are examining CCTV footage from nearby houses to identify those responsible. A case will be registered as part of the investigation, they added.