(1) Subject to the provisions of sub-section (2), if any person unlawfully,--
(a) puts or throws upon or across any railway, any wood, stone or other matter or thing; or
(b) takes up, removes, loosens or displaces any rail, sleeper or other matter or things belonging to any railway; or
(c) turns, moves, unlocks or diverts any points or other machinery belonging to any railway; or
(d) makes or shows, or hides or removes, any signal or light upon or near to any railway; or
(e) does or causes to be done or attempts to do any other act or thing in relation to any railway,
with intent or with knowledge that he is likely to endanger the safety of any person travelling on or being upon the railway, he shall be punishable with imprisonment for life, or with rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to ten years:
Provided that in the absence of special and adequate reasons to the contrary to be mentioned in the judgment of the court, where a person is punishable with rigorous imprisonment, such imprisonment shall not be less than--
(a) three years, in the case of a conviction for the first offence; and
(b) seven years, in the case of conviction for the second or subsequent offence.
(2) If any person unlawfully does any act or thing referred to in any of the clauses of sub-section (1)--
(a) with intent to cause the death of any person and the doing of such act or thing causes the death of any person; or
(b) with knowledge that such act or thing is so imminently dangerous that it must in all probability cause the death of any person or such bodily injury to any person as is likely to cause the death of such person,
he shall be punishable with death or imprisonment for life.