Rangapani accident: Statements of 16 Railway workers recorded
Siliguri: The investigation into the train accident involving a freight train colliding with the Kanchanjungha Express in Rangapani continued, with statements from 16 workers of the Indian Railways recorded at the office of the Additional Divisional Railway Manager (ADRM) at New Jalpaiguri (NJP) on Wednesday and Thursday.
Addressing media persons at the ADRM office on Thursday, Surendra Kumar, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Katihar Division of Northeast Frontier (N F) Railway, said that statements from all parties involved were being recorded and indicated that additional time would be needed to complete the final report. “We have been recording statements from all the on-duty staff,” the DRM explained. “Additionally, we have summoned the instructors from the Railway training school where training on the automatic signalling system was provided. The CRS will be responsible for preparing the final report,” he added.On Thursday, Janak Kumar Garg, Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), as part of the inquiry, cross-examined Railway staff members, including Railway guards, the station master; the Railway staff who had monitored Kanchanjungha Express and the freight train, along with linemen. According to Railway sources, the monitoring report from the Railway states that the Kanchanjungha Express left Rangapani Station at 8:27 am on Monday.
From 5:30 am that day, trains were running on Paper Signalling as the Automatic Signalling System between Rangapani and Chatterhat was disrupted.The Kanchanjungha Express was given form ‘TA 912’ and ‘T369(3B)’. Later, at 8:42 am, the freight train was also given these two forms while leaving Rangapani Station.
As per the ‘TA 912’ form, the driver can ‘break’ even if the signal is red. It was also mentioned as to how long this ‘permission’ would remain in force but the ‘T369(3B)’ form was also given with it. According to Railway sources, ‘T369(3B)’ form states the speed of the train and specifies that the speed of the train hould not exceed 15 kmph in any case. Sources added that the monitoring report claimed that the freight train was driven at high speed. Based on this, the loco pilot, co-pilot and guard of the freight train were the primary suspects of the incident.
On Thursday, a Special Investigating Team (SIT) of GRP went to the accident spot in the Nirmaljyot area. They inspected the entire area and checked the current scenario of the spot. A senior Railway doctor visited the private nursing home where Mannu Kumar, the co-pilot of the freight train, is being treated and conducted a health examination. The loco pilot remains traumatised and is unable to speak coherently.
The CSR will talk to him after his recovery.
Draupadi Devi, mother of Mannu Kumar, asserted her son’s innocence, stating: “My son is innocent. Every day I come to the hospital, but I am not allowed to see him.”
Meanwhile, the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital authorities stated that the injured patients were in good health. Many of them were released from the hospital on Thursday.