Laloo’s retreat

When the stampede claimed five lives at the New Delhi Railway Station, Railway officials and security personnel at the station were busy rea...

When the stampede claimed five lives at the New Delhi Railway Station, Railway officials and security personnel at the station were busy readying Laloo Prasad Yadav’s personal luxury saloon, which had to be attached to Jan Sadaharan Express so that he could go to Patna for the Chaath festival.

The railway staff was informed about the minister’s intention to go to Patna barely two hours before the train’s departure at 3.10 pm.

There was hectic activity in the maintenance area, near platform no. one, where Laloo’s saloon was parked. All senior officials, including the station manager, were overseeing the arrangements. His baggage, puja material and sweet boxes were loaded. According to sources, the officials did not have information on how many people were expected to accompany Laloo. All they knew was, it was supposed to be a ‘‘big group.’’

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In the meantime, crowds had been gathering on the foot overbridge leading to platform no 3 from where the Patna-bound Jansadharan Express was to depart. There was hardly anybody to regulate the growing crowd of Patna-bound passengers. Sources said that since there were thousands of people heading towards Bihar everyday, for almost a fortnight now, the station staff was aware of the rush, and had been making adequate arrangements.

‘‘But today, with Laloo deciding to go on the same train — though in his own saloon — all arrangements were focused on him,’’ an official disclosed. The plan was to prepare the saloon for Laloo to board from platform no 1, and then shunt it to platform no 3, and attach it to Jan Sadharan Express before it rolled out. According to officials, there was an unruly group of about 50-60 youth who started descending in a rush from the overbridge. ‘‘It appears that some women were sitting on one side and they got trampled in the process, causing the stampede,’’ an official said.

Sources said that immediately after the minister got the information about the stampede, he decided not to travel by train. ‘‘All his baggage was quickly unloaded from the saloon, put in a car and quietly whisked away,’’ the official added.

Later, the Railway Minister decided to fly to Patna.