National Investigation Agency to investigate Kanpur and Kuneru train derailment cases

The Home Ministry on Thursday decides that National Investigation Agency will investigate Kanpur and Kuneru (Andhra Pradesh) train derailment cases. The Home Ministry also transfers Motihari case where bomb was found on railway track in October 2016 to NIA.

Earlier, Suspecting the possibility of sabotage in the recent spate of train derailments, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu had written to Home Minister Rajnath Singh seeking a detailed probe by the National Investigating Agency into the incidents.

In a letter dated January 23 to the Home Minister, Prabhu sought an NIA probe into the recent spate of train mishaps and listed six incidents of “possibility of criminal interference by outsiders”.

In the letter, he made a mention of Hirakhand Express derailment near Kuneru station in Andhra Pradesh, two goods trains that went off the track earlier this month on the Koraput-Kirandul section, “cooker bomb” at Ghorasahan station, detection of deep cuts on tracks near Kanpur on January 1 and the obstruction on tracks on a rail bridge between Barauni-Samastipur stations on Monday.

Citing the derailment of Indore-Patna Express in Kanpur in which around 150 people were killed, he said: “Bihar police unearthed a conspiracy to train some persons in the country to tamper with railway tracks to cause train derailments and (their) possible involvement in the accident near Kanpur.”

“Requesting all to be extra vigilant to foil nefarious designs of these anti-people elements trying to subvert system, dastardly inhuman acts(sic),” Prabhu tweeted.

(With PTI inputs)