Inquiry on Rangapani train mishap to resume in Guwahati

Sanchita Aich Bag, MP, 9 July 2024, Siliguri: Around 23 days after the rear-end collision between Kanchenjunga Express train and a freight train, the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) will interrogate Manu Kumar, co-driver of the freight train and the sole eyewitness to the accident. 

According to Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) sources, Janak Kumar Garg, Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) will conduct an inquiry on Tuesday and Wednesday at Maligaon, the headquarters of NFR. The Safety Commissioner has summoned some people involved in the incident on Tuesday and Wednesday, including Manu. 

The summon list includes Deputy commandant of NFR, traffic inspector, co-pilot of freight train, Railway command-line interface, pilot and co-pilot of Kanchanjungha Express train. They will be questioned. 

Besides, the pilots and co-pilots of Bikaner Express, New Jalpaiguri Malda Town Express, which passed down the line before Kanchenjunga Express on the morning of the accident, have also been summoned for questioning on Tuesday. 

Station Master of Chatterhat Station, Rangapani Station Master, Gate Man of NC/8, Principal, Chief Instructor and Instructor of Multi Disciplinary Zonal Training Institute of Alipurduar Division were also summoned on Wednesday. This will be the first time that the CRS will get a chance to interrogate Manu face-to-face. 

Earlier, when he was under treatment at a nursing home in Siliguri, they tried to interrogate him several times, but he didn’t say anything. Manu was shifted to Maligaon Railway Hospital for treatment on June 27. 

In this regard, Tapas Kumar Dutta, Divisional Safety Officer of Katihar Division said: “Chief Railway Safety Commissioner will conduct an inquiry on Tuesday and Wednesday. The staff and officials of the concerned department involved in the accident have been summoned for questioning.” 

Incidentally, on June 17, the collision occurred at Nirmaljyot area of Phansidewa block adjacent to Siliguri. As many as 10 people died and at least 40 were injured in the incident. 

The pilot of the freight train died on the spot. After the incident, CRS started an inquiry. Questioning was conducted in Siliguri for a few days. The inquiry then carried on in Guwahati. Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/inquiry-on-rangapani-train-mishap-to-resume-in-guwahati-571091