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Freak accident in Neelachal Exp: 3 arrested for negligence
The three people arrested include labourer Vishesh Kumar (24) working on the track, contractor Pramod Kumar (23) and engineer Sajid Ali (25) supervising the task. They were involved in the work of laying the loop line and labourer Vishesh Kumar left the iron rod ( ‘sabbal’, used for digging) on the nearby train track which is feared to have re-bounded towards the window of Neelachal Express after striking the electric pole, once the front part of the moving train pressed it and set it in motion.
Agra Three people, including an engineer, a contractor and a labourer were arrested on the charge of negligence which caused the death of a passenger on the window seat of a general coach in Neelachal Express. The passenger had died when a pointed iron rod left on the train track pierced his neck on Friday.
“Those arrested were working for an under-construction railway loop line being laid to connect a cement factory with the main line,” informed superintendent of police (SP), Government Railway Police (GRP), Agra region, Mohd Mushtaq during a press conference here on Wednesday.
“The three people arrested include labourer Vishesh Kumar (24) working on the track, contractor Pramod Kumar (23) and engineer Sajid Ali (25) supervising the task. They were involved in the work of laying the loop line and labourer Vishesh Kumar left the iron rod ( ‘sabbal’, used for digging) on the nearby train track which is feared to have re-bounded towards the window of Neelachal Express after striking the electric pole, once the front part of the moving train pressed it and set it in motion,” said Mushtaq.
To recall, on December 2, Harikesh Dubey (35), on the window seat of Neelachal Express which was moving at more than 100 kmph between Somna and Dabar stations near Aligarh, died at about 8.45 am when the iron rod pierced his neck. Dubey could not even move as the rod pinned the body to the back of the train seat.
“A case under section 304 (culpable homicide) of Indian Penal Code was registered against unidentified accused at GRP Aligarh and deputy SP (GRP) Sudesh Gupta led the investigation team which made three arrests on Wednesday,” said the SP (GRP).
Earlier, Santram Dubey (70), father of deceased Harikesh Dubey, squarely blamed the railways for negligence that caused the death of his son.
“I have never heard of such negligence in my life. This is the biggest negligence in the history of the railways in India, causing such painful death of my son. The railway staff working on the track did not remove the iron rod. The rod bounced and caused the death of my son who has left behind two minor children and widow,” said Santram Dubey.
Harikesh Dubey worked as tower technician for a mobile tower company in Delhi and was travelling from Anand Vihar to Lucknow on Friday to attend a marriage.
Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnav had later declared compensation of ₹5 lakh to the family of the deceased.
