A bet made by a jail inmate with drug addicts, saying he would give them Rs 2,000 if they placed an iron rod on tracks to derail a train, was behind what is known as the Diva railway sabotage case.

The Mumbra police have arrested the five drug addicts. A major tragedy was averted on Jan 24 this year, when an iron rod 6.32 m in length was found on the tracks on the Diva-Panvel route. A motorman saw it and stopped the train.