Railways’ SIT questions 14 drivers, guards

Neeraj Bagga
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, November 14

A four-member SIT of the Government Railway Police (GRP) today questioned 14 drivers and guards of the Northern Zone as part of its inquiry into the Amritsar train tragedy.

It came out in the probe that the Railways had issued direction of caution to trains plying between the Manawala and Amritsar railway stations after a body was noticed close to Joda Phatak that day. The order had been issued from the Beas railway station around 4.20 pm. The instruction may have been removed after lifting of the body from the site.

Sources said drivers and guards of four trains other than the DMU that killed the Dasehra revellers, which had crossed Joda Phatak before the DMU, were quizzed. These trains were Howrah Mail, Chattisgarh, Dadar and Superfast Amritsar to Chandigarh.

Station House Officer, GRP, Amritsar Railway Station Balvir Singh Ghuman said the GRP had registered a case against unidentified persons in connection with the train tragedy on October 20. He said the names could only be incorporated in the FIR as per the recommendations of the SIT which has got three-month period to investigate.