Probe over, probe on

Refusing to completely exonerate the Railways from the responsibility of Howrah-New Delhi Rajdhani derailment near Rafiganj in Bihar in September last, Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety (CCRS) held the security and engineering departments of Eastern Railway and Mughalsarai division ‘‘blameworthy for not taking preventive measures in miscreant-prone areas.’’

He also held responsible two gangmen of Mughalsarai Division, who were on patrol duty on the night of the accident, and Track Directorate of RDSO for delay in development of anti-sabotage fastenings on the track. An official railways statement said that the Railway Board refused to accept the CCRS views on the responsibility of RDSO.

They said that the RDSO was making constant efforts to evolve a suitable design which may permit easy maintainability and prevent tampering with track by miscreants. The Railway Board had accepted all other findings.

The CCRS ratified the cause that the accident was due to sabotage, caused by opening of fishplates and elastic rail clips on the track. The final CRS report (Nov 7, 2002) had then gone to the CCRS for ratification.