The Government Railway Police have not named any accused in the FIR on the Bagmati Express derailment that took place on Oct. 11; NIA yet to find any evidence to investigate sabotage angle
Even as the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is yet to find any evidence pointing to a sabotage in the October 11 train accident at Kavaraipettai in Chennai Division of Southern Railway, the Government Railway Police (GRP) have registered a case of “rash” or “negligent” driving.
According to police sources, the GRP have invoked provisions under Sections 281 (rash or negligent driving endangering human life), 125(a) (rash or negligent act causing hurt), and 125(b) (rash or negligent act causing grievous hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, read with Section 154 (endangering safety of passengers travelling by railway by rash or negligent act or omission) of the Railway Act, 1989.
Though the FIR has not named any accused in the case, the act of rash or negligent driving will apparently refer to the loco pilots, the sources said.
The derailment pertains to the rear-end collision of the Mysuru-Darbhanga Bagmati Express (train No. 12578) with a stationary goods train at the Kavarapettai station on the night of October 11.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the express train was given the green signal to pass through the main line. However, after passing the signal it entered the loop line and collided with the goods train stabled there. More than 20 passengers were injured after 13 coaches derailed.
A parcel-cum-power car went up in flames in the impact of the collision. But there was no reference to how the coach caught fire in the multi-departmental inquiry report. While some railway officials and loco pilots said the power (generator) car would have contained diesel stored in a drum, as is done in many trains, there was no mention of it in any formal report so far.
Violation of rules
A senior railway official said transporting diesel separately in containers was a violation of rules and a punishable offence under the Railway Act. He parried questions on the possibility of fuel in a generator exploding or causing fire in the impact of a collision and why the fire detection and suppression system failed to extinguish the fire. The detailed inquiry being conducted by the Commissioner of Railway Safety would go into those aspects, the official, who did not want to be quoted, said.
Soon after the derailment, NIA officials had stepped in to inspect the scene of accident amid suspicions of a possible sabotage. The multi-departmental team of railway officials also said in its report that it found nuts and bolts “missing” from a crucial point on the railway line, suggesting a sabotage angle. But a senior NIA official said no credible evidence had been found yet to take up investigation.