Rlways had intelligence about possible Maoist attack in Bihar

Railway Ministry had intelligence inputs about a possible Maoist attack on rail properties in Tirhut and Saran regions of Bihar, a senior RPF official claimed today after the derailment of Rajdhani Express in Chapra.

"There were intelligence reports of possible Maoist attack on rail properties in Tirhut and Saran region and accordingly Railway Ministry had alerted the East Central Railway, GRP and district administrations," the official said.

Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Chapra and Hazipur are among the areas which comprise Tirhut and Saran regions in Bihar.

The intelligence advisory was issued by railways to the concerned authorities on June 20 to take adequate preventive measures to in the wake of Maosit bandh call to check possible attack on railway proprties in the region.

There were two incidents involving Dibrugrah-New Delhi Rajdhani Express and a goods train in the region today and railways suspect it to be sabotage by Maoists.

"Prima facie, it appears to be a case of sabotage. There was a blast on the track, which could have caused the derailment," Railway Board Chairman Arunendra Kumar told PTI.

"Another goods train, 60 kms away from the station, also got derailed due to a blast. 18 wagons got derailed in the accident," Kumar said.

However, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said it was too early to blame the Maoists for the derailment.

While Railway Minister D V Sadananda Gowda and Minister of State for Railway Manoj Sinha have rushed to the site along with Railway Board Member (Traffic) D P Pandey and Member (Mechanical) Alok Johri, RPF DG Krishna Chaudhury have also gone to the accident spot for a first hand information.

Expressing concern over the Rajdhani derailment, All-India Railwaymen's Federation General Secretary Shiv Gopal Mishra said "though the exact cause will be known only after the inquiry, it seems to be a sabotage case."

Mishra said a railway employee and his wife died in the incident while the couple's son and daughter were injured.

He said the casualty in the derailement could have been more had it not been LHB coaches which are equipped with features which which prevent compartments piling on each other or tumbling over in derailment.