Probe finds Rly staff negligence

Dasehra tragedy: Rights body wants guilty named in FIR

PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 28

Even as the railway authorities gave a clean chit to Railway employees in the Dasehra train tragedy last year, the magisterial probe conducted by Divisional Commissioner, Jalandhar, B Purushartha held several railway employees guilty of criminal negligence.

The report was submitted to the Punjab Government in November 2018, a month after the tragedy. The findings, which came to the fore recently, have held the gatemen of level crossing Nos. 26 and 27 besides loco pilots, assistant loco pilots and guards of the two trains involved responsible for grave dereliction of duty that led to the mishap, which left 58 dead and 70 injured.

Sarabjit Singh Verka, principal investigator, Punjab Human Rights Organisation (PHRO), said the Railway Ministry should take cognisance of the probe and initiate appropriate action in this regard.

The PHRO, which received the report recently, on December 24 demanded nomination of those held responsible of criminal negligence in the FIR registered by the Government Railway Police at the time.

In the magisterial probe announced by the state government, Purushartha dwelt on different rules under The Northern Railways Accident Manual-2008, The Indian Railways Act, Railway Accidents Rules-1998 and The Indian Railways (Open line) General Rules-1976 to substantiate his findings. He mentioned the duties of the Railway employees under different situations and accident cases.

“It is evident that the gateman of level crossing gate No. 26 failed to discharge his statutory duties by his late reaction in informing the gateman of Jaura Phatak, gate No. 27. He came to know about this gathering on rail tracks around 5.30 pm, but informed the gateman of gate No. 27 around 6.40-6.45 pm. The latter did not inform the station master concerned and kept giving right signals to approaching trains. Therefore, he is also responsible for committing this blunder,” it observed.

“The loco pilots, assistant loco pilots and guards of train Nos. 19614 DN and 13006 DN have failed to perform their statutory duties. Their negligent attitude and carelessness has caused this huge accident,” the report suggested.

The Railway authorities had termed the accident an incident of trespass, which is an offence under The Indian Railways Act. The Railways gave a clean chit to its employees following a factual report taken from its officials.

“The factual report is extremely superficial in which appropriate questions were not asked to Railway employees and merely on the basis of their statements, a clean chit was given. It seems the Railways lacked the seriousness to find the truth in the case,” the report suggested.

Box

Magisterial inquiry findings

* Gate No. 26 gateman informed colleague at gate No. 27 about Dasehra gathering an hour late

* Jaura Phatak gateman didn’t inform station master, kept giving right signals to trains

* Loco pilots, asst loco pilots, guards of two trains failed to perform statutory duties