DELHI/ VISAKHAPATNAM: While investigators are looking into any possible role of Pakistan spy agency ISI in Kanpur derailment last year, Indian Railways is suspecting sabotage in Hirakhand Express derailment in Andhra Pradesh and there is a possibility that the Centre may ask National Investigation Agency (NIA) to look into the accident.
Meanwhile, Bihar police has arrested three people —Moti Paswan, Uma Shankar and Mukesh Yadav—in the state. The trio has claimed to have received money to plant improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on tracks and the explosives have been recovered.
NIA is also investigating the matter after reports of trio confessing to having ISI links. “The Home Ministry may ask the NIA to investigate the Hirakhand Express derailment,” said official sources.
Railway authorities said that the Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh area where Hirakhand Express got derailed on Saturday night is Naxal prone and there is a possibility of sabotage ahead of Republic Day.
Union railway minister Suresh Prabhu who visited the accident site, along with senior railway ministry official, said that all possible causes of the accident will be probed and stringent action will be taken against the culprits.
The ministry said that prima facie, it looks that derailment was caused by rail fracture but that has to be ascertained that whether it was caused by poor maintenance or someone did it intentionally.
“There are indications of foul play as a goods train passed the same track just two hours before the mishap. The inspection by the patrol team also found the track was fine on Saturday night. The driver applied emergency brake after feeling a big jerk and heard a loud sound,” said Railway spokesperson Anil Kumar Saxena.