In Bengal train mishap, woman's U-turn after complaint: 'Made to sign blank paper'

A woman passenger who was on board a Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express train on Monday has said she was not aware of any complaint allegedly lodged by her against the loco pilot and co-pilot of the freight train that had rammed into the Kanchanjungha Express, killing 9 people.

Jalpaiguri Railway Police had earlier registered an FIR against loco pilots of the goods train after the accident.

The woman, Chaitali Majumder, had levelled serious allegations against railway police saying that she didn’t file any FIR, and they made her sign a blank white paper and wrongly stated the content of the letter, which was later converted into an FIR.

Meanwhile, a railway police source says, "A passenger named Chaitali Majumdar, a resident of Siliguri, who boarded the Kanchanjunga express from New Jalpaiguri station yesterday and suffered injury during the accident lodged a written complaint with GRPS alleging that the said accident happened due to rush and negligent conduct from the end of loco pilot and co-loco pilot of the goods train."

As per sources, the woman, in her written complaint, narrated the incident, "The train left NJP railway station and at around 8.30, when the train was crossing in between Rangapani railway station and Nijbari railway station, suddenly she felt that the train was highly jerked. One baby fell down from his mother's lap and a panicky atmosphere was formed. She and some co-passengers also sustained grievous injuries. After getting down from the train, she found that one goods train hit the Kanchanjunga Express from behind and both the trains had been badly damaged, including the engine of the goods train. Later on, with the help of villagers and others, the injured passengers were evacuated and several died on their way to the hospital."

She was treated after being admitted to railway hospital NJP with a history of grievous injury.

Accordingly, based on her complaint, officials of the New Jalpaiguri GRP Police Station had registered an FIR under the relevant section of the Indian Railways Act and initiated a probe.

However, the woman's U-turn has raised a number of questions regarding the inquiry being conducted by the railway on the accident.