Twopassengers of a Guwahati-bound special train carrying Northeast people fleeing Bangalore were killed and nine seriously injured today after they were reportedly beaten up and pushed out by unidentified persons. Police and railway authorities remained tightlipped on the identity of the attacked passengers,who hailed from Assam,pending an investigation. The police found the bodies and the injured persons near the tracks at Belacoba railway station,a few kilometres from New Jalpaiguri station. The two had died on the spot. We do not know the reason behind the incident. We are investigating the matter, New Jalpaiguri Area Manager (Rail) Partho Sarthi Seal said. Following the deaths,road blocks were seen at a few places in Jalpaiguri. Trains were stalled at some sites as a precautionary measure. Both the dead passengers belonged to Hailakandi district in Assam. While the special train involved in the alleged scuffle was stopped at Cooch Behar station and a search carried out to try and identify the culprits,no one has been arrested so far. As per one version given by eyewitnesses on the train,a group of passengers had begun looting and beating up others,leading to 11 of them falling off near the Belacoba station around 9 pm Saturday. However,another version is that a group of passengers who boarded the special train at the New Jalpaiguri station had been attacked,leading to some falling from the train. According to Subrata Hazong,spokesperson of the Northeast Frontier Railways,the gateman at a level crossing near the Belacoba station had heard the sound of something heavy falling and had discovered the two men lying near the tracks on Saturday night. Thereafter nine more people had been found near the tracks. No case has been registered so far, Hazong told Indian Express from Siliguri. Railway Minister Mukul Roy said they were sure there hadnt been any attack from outside as complete security had been provided to the passengers. The compartment in which it happened was crowded and there was a scuffle between two groups of passengers. As a result of the violence,the men fell, he said,adding that if needed,security would be tightened further.
