13 railway employees grilled in Sainthia accident

KOLKATA - The West Bengal police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Monday grilled 13 Eastern Railway employees who were on duty at the time of the July 19 Sainthia train accident in which 63 people were killed.

“We had summoned 13 people who were on duty at Sainthia and Gadhadharpur stations, including the driver of the Vananchal Express and the guard of the Uttar Banga Express, to know the exact situation at the time of the incident,” said a CID officer on condition of anonymity.

“It was just formal information sharing. The statements of all the employees were recorded till late evening,” the officer said.

Asked about the outcome of the interrogation, the officer said: “We are verifying the statements and only after that a concrete statement can be formulated.”

The Sealdah-bound Uttar Banga Express rammed into the stationary Vananchal Express at Sainthia station in West Bengal’s Birbhum district July 19 resulting in the high casualties.