Rail officer’s death in MP: Five officials booked for negligence

Verma added that a challan would be put up in court for further action. Bhati (32), who was inducted into the IRTS in 2018, was posted as Area Railway Manager in South East Central Railway (SECR) of Bilaspur division. On June 23, he was overseeing the pre-interlocking work of Amlai yard after being handed over the additional charge of Baikunthpur section when he was hit by a Katni-Bilaspur passenger train around 7.45 pm and was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

Despite an internal railway inquiry order by the Railways, Bhati’s mother Ranjana Bhati, in two letters to the GRP, alleged not only mental harassment by senior officers, but also negligence on their part. She had demanded an independent probe into her son’s death. The subsequent probe by the GRP has found negligence on the part of railway personnel in enforcing caution order resulting in the passenger train coming in at a speed of 75-80 kmph while the work on the track was still on.

Further at the site of the accident, there was negligence in issuing warning with the use of hooter to alter the staff, while the lighting at the work site was also found insufficient — all factors contributing to Bhati’s accident.

Ranjana told The Indian Express: “My son gave his life while working for the Railways and yet they are not even sure of who is responsible for his death. An inquiry was ordered but no action has been taken and neither do we know if they have reached any conclusion or anyone had been held responsible.”

Alok Sahay, Divisional Railway Manager of Bilaspur Division, said: “The inquiry has been put before the Chief Safety Officer for acceptance and will then be sent ahead for further action.”

Meanwhile, according to the FIR, loco pilot SK Barve and guard Mohammad Wazir Ahmed of Bilaspur-Katni Express in their statement to the GRP recounted that their train was not issued any caution order by the Burhar station master due to which the train entered Amlai station at a speed of 75-80 kmph per hour.

“Pradeep Turale neither followed the orders himself nor got it implemented by his subordinates, which led to Bhati’s death… It also jeopardised lives,” the FIR noted.