SC judge to probe rail accident

By Sarabjit Pandher

JEONPURA, DEC. 3. The Union Railways Minister, Ms. Mamata Banerjee, has said the accident on the Ambala-Amritsar section of Northern Railway on Saturday was a serious matter, adding that those found responsible would not be spared.

The toll rose to 44 with three injured passengers dying at the PGI in Chandigarh and one at the T.S. Rajendera Hospital in Patiala. In all, 33 persons were admitted to these hospitals.

Ms. Banerjee inspected the accident site early on Sunday morning and reviewed the relief operations. The Amritsar- bound Howrah Mail rammed the overturned wagons of a goods train near here on Saturday morning.

While Ms. Banerjee evaded questions on her statement in which she had not ruled out sabotage, Mr. Digvijay Singh, her deputy, said at a time when subversive forces and terrorist organisations had stepped up their activities, nothing could be ruled out.

The railway authorities were engaged in recovering bodies from the mangled coaches when the Union Ministers arrived. When a senior official of Northern Railway tried to explain, Ms. Banerjee checked him with a stern remark, ``I will talk to you later. You may have many things to explain.''

Ms. Banerjee said a sitting judge of the Supreme Court had been asked to conduct a probe. This would be in addition to the one being carried out by the Commissioner of Railway Safety.

To a question, she said she was ready to quit if it helped improve the functioning of the Railways.

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