FIR lodged in stampede case, railways forms probe panel

Kolkata, Oct 24 (IANS) The police on Wednesday lodged an FIR against unknown persons while the South Eastern Railway formed a four-member probe panel in connection with the stampede at Santragachi station that left two people dead and a dozen others injured on Tuesday.

The FIR was registered by the Government Railway Police at Santragachi station against unknown persons on the charges of causing grievous hurt and death by negligence during the rush at a railway foot-overbridge, a GRP official said.

"An FIR has been registered under the sections 323, 325 (punishment for voluntarily causing grievous hurt) and 304A (causing death by negligence) against unknown persons who might be responsible for the incident," an officer from Santragachhi GRP told IANS.

The tragedy happened around 6 pm on Tuesday at the busy junction railway station under the South Eastern railway due to overcrowding on the foot-overbridge as commuters hurriedly tried to cross over following an announcement of two trains coming simultaneously on two adjacent tracks.

The railways has claimed that the overcrowding on the foot-overbridge occurred as four trains had just left the station and four others were about to leave.

The probe panel comprised heads of the departments concerned of the SER.

"A four member committee headed by J.N. Laldas, Principal Chief Engineer of South Eastern Railway (SER) has been formed to enquire into the incident at Santragachhi last evening," an SER official said.

"The rest three members are P.K. Sahu, Principal Chief Commercial Mannager, S.C. Parhi, Principal Chief Security Commissioner-IG and G.K. Dwivedi, Chief Safety Officer of the South eastern railways," the official said.

According to the railway authorities, the committee visited the accident spot during the day to take stock of the infrastructure facilities there and also interact with the locals and those admitted in the hospital.

Kala Kanti Singh, 32, of East Midnapore district and Taser Sardar, 61, of Murshidabad district died in Tuesday's stampede.

The railways has announced a compensation package of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased, Rs 1 lakh for the seriously injured and Rs 50,000 for those with minor injuries.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met the injured on Tuesday evening at the hospital.

She alleged the railways "negligence and callousness" caused the tragedy and ordered an administrative probe on behalf of the state government.

"Security of people should not be compromised, and railway should take proper care of the people. Railway is the lifeline of the country, it should not be derailed," she had said.