“I am denied access to my son who is alive…”: Mother of co-pilot whom Railways had claimed dead; Questions galore before the Railways after fake FIR over Bengal train accident

“I have been dying to see my son but they aren’t allowing”, Draupadi Debi, mother of Manu Kumar, the co-pilot of the freight train that had rammed into Kanchanjunga Express on Monday, was seen inconsolable standing outside a private hospital in Siliguri on Thursday afternoon, She had rushed down along with the family after they learnt about the accident that has claimed the life of Anil Kumar, the loco-pilot of the freight train and nine others. Manu Kumar was there inside the engine as a co-pilot and the most crucial witness in the entire investigation. While most of the injured passengers were either taken to the State government North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) or the Railway Hospital, Manu was first taken to NBMCH and from there he was later shifted to a private hospital by the Railways.

Interestingly, Jaya Verma Sinha, the chairperson of the Railway Board, Government of India, soon after the accident had claimed that both the loco pilot and the co-pilot have died in the accident. “Preliminary reports indicate that it was a human error. The loco-pilot had overshot the signal and went and hit the Kanchanjunga Express. Both the loco pilot and the co-pilot have died”, Jaya Verma Sinha had said on Monday. In less than 48 hours since the statement, a verified video surfaced showing Manu Sharma on a hospital stretcher, his statement being video recorded. There was a cut on his upper lip and he could barely speak. But the video was a confirmation that he was alive. Records further confirm that Manu Sharma was shifted to a private hospital on Monday night itself. Railways, even if were wrongly informed, hadn’t corrected themselves as yet, even after the video had surfaced.

“We are not authorised to give any details about Mr Manu Sharma. We have been strictly told not to share anything about him, leave aside his contact details with anyone or any organisation. He is there in the ICU. Our superiors have given the instruction”, said an employee dealing with records and the reception of Paramount Hospital, the private hospital where Manu is admitted. The Hospital PRO, too, refused to give any details.

Strangely, the mother of the co-pilot has alleged that even after repeated requests, she has not been able to see his injured son. One of the doctors from the hospital claimed that Manu has been kept in the ICU ward, getting treated for the trauma he has suffered. “My son has been saved by the God. I can’t believe that this accident has happened. I have been struggling to meet my son but they haven’t allowed me. I don’t know why. They aren’t saying much about him to us. I just want to see my son”, said Draupadi Debi. She strongly contested the allegations that her son could be at fault along with Anil Kumar, the loco-pilot.

Records show that out of 41 people who had sustained injuries including 35 from West Bengal, two from Jharkhand and one each from Assam and Tripura, only two people were shifted to private hospitals from the NBMCH. Manu Kumar was one of the two taken to a private hospital. Interestingly the other patient shifted out and was taken to Neotia Gtewel Multispeciality Private Hospital, known to be one of the best and better equipped in the region, while Manu was admitted to Paramount Hospital.

It’s been 72 hours since the deadly train accident at Rangapani near New Jalpaiguri involving the DN 13174 Kanchanjunga Express and a goods train, but there isn’t any confirmation, officially, as to what caused it. Prima facie it is suspected that the goods train had breached the speed limit while running on paper signal and not automatic signalling. Railways on the other hand came under scanner and suspicion after the passenger Chaitali Majumdar, whose complaint was used as the basis for an FIR against Loco pilot and the co-pilot of the freight train, denied on Tuesday of lodging any complaint. She, rather has accused Railway Police Force (RPF) and the Railway officials of falsely taking her signature on a blank paper, on the pretext of procedural enquiry.