2 rail employees booked after 5 deer run over by train

LUCKNOW - Two railway employees have been booked for the death of five spotted deer that were run over by a train in a wildlife sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich district, an official said Monday.

The five spotted deer, including four females, were run over Sunday in the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, some 130 km from Lucknow.

“It’s clearly a case of negligence on part of the railway officials,” Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) R.K. Singh told IANS on telephone from Baharich.

But it is yet to be established which train ran over the animals and therefore a case has been filed against the unknown driver and rail guard under the Wildlife Protection Act.

“Preliminary investigations indicate that it was either the Gokul Express or a goods train that ran over the deer… we have registered a case against unknown driver and guard of the railways,” said Singh.

“The railway authorities had earlier assured us that the speed of trains inside the sanctuary area would not exceed 30 km per hour. The accident took place since the speed limit was not followed,” he added.