RailEnquiry

PATNA: Three passengers were killed and over half a dozen injured when about a hundred Maoists attacked Dhanbad-Patna Intercity Express (13331) between Bhalui and Kundhar halts in Jamui district of Bihar falling under Danapur division of East Central Railway (ECR) on Thursday afternoon.The victims were identified as Amit Kumar, Sarvar Alam of Purnea and an Railway Protection Special Force (RSPF) jawan Sukhant Deonath. Kumar was an SI of Bihar Police posted in Jamui while Deonath of RSPF's E Company, 5 Battalion was on escort duty in the train.Among the injured were Manoj Kumar of Jamalpur, Dharmendra Sao of Lalkhisarai, PK Tripathy of Patna, Satish Kumar of Muzaffarpur and KP Singh, guard of the train. The condition of Kumar who is an employee of Jamalpur workshop, is said to be critical, said East Central Railway spokesman Amitabh Prabhakar adding all the injured were rushed to the nearest government hospital in Jamui for their treatment.TOI Patna special correspondent Pranav Kumar Choudhary, who was travelling in the same train, said the Naxalites, mainly comprising armed girls, appeared from nowhere as the train came to a screeching halt in a forest area. It appeared that some of their comrades were already in the train who pulled the chain at the specified spot. At that time, several bogies of the train were in a tunnel.

Chairman of railway board Vinay Mittal said the stranded train carried out its onward journey after 75 minutes of its detention at the site. Train movement was resumed after getting police clearance in the matter, he said.

Expressing shock over the incident, ECR GM Madhuresh Kumar said that railways has decided to beef up security measures in Naxalite-affected areas in the ECR. Patrolling will be intensified in close coordination with state police.

"Railways would now ensure passengers' safety on running trains," he said, adding three deaths unfortunately took place in the attack. According to Prabhakar, the pre-planned Maoist attack took place around 1pm near Jamui on Howrah-Patna-Mughalsarai section mainline of ECR's Danapur division. The banned outfit started firing indiscriminately on the bogies of the ill-fated train. Bullets hit passengers mostly travelling in sleeper class. Heavily-armed Maoists including women, forcibly entered a few coaches and terrorized passengers.

Rail traffic movement on both up and down lines remained disrupted till 3pm.

Confirming deaths of three passengers in the attack, DIG (railways) KS Anupam said that additional reinforcements were immediately rushed to the spot.

Jamalpur superintendent of rail police Amitbah Das and deputy superintendent of police Alok Kumar were already present there to supervise a massive combing operation of the area which is mostly dense forest.

According to Danapur DRM LM Jha, railways rushed a medical from Danapur and Jhajha to Kiul station where passengers of the ill-fated train were thoroughly examined. All vulnerable stations falling in the division have been put on alert and security is being beefed up from passengers 'security point of view, he said.

According to Jamui district magistrate Shashi Kant Tiwary, two companies of CRPF were immediately drafted to the site soon after receipt of information. He also said that the administration is fully prepared to take up cudgels against the banned outfit.

According to sources, Maoists snatched and carried away a rifle and an AK-47 from two RPSF jawans while making an escape from the spot. ECR's commissioner of security RPF personally rushed to the spot and escorted the passengers up to Kiul, sources said.