Examinees suffer due to station scuffle

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Feb. 18: Several Madhyamik examinees today failed to reach the examination centre at Bunidapur in South Dinajpur due to a scuffle between the boarders of the Balurghat passenger, a link train of Gour Express and the assistant station master (ASM) of Eklakhi Junction Station in Gazole, Malda.The ASM allegedly hired a group of ‘anti-socials’ and beat up the railway passengers severely this morning when they demanded replacement of the broken down locomotive of Balurghat passenger.The reason being nothing but a visit by the general manager and other top railway officials who were scheduled to visit the station this morning forbade the railway staff to replace the locomotive.The engine driver reported that the air valve of the engine was removed. The train was detained for more than four hours at Eklakhi and the railway staff was not in a position to stop leakage of diesel from the locomotive.However, the railway passengers said that the local railway authorities informed them that the train was detained to give pass to the saloon car of the general manager of the Northeast Frontier Rail-ways.The local railway staff was reluctant to listen to their plea while they were busy cleaning the station and driving hawkers out of the station.The train was detained at around 8.30 am and the train left for Balurghat at around 12.30 pm today after the railway authorities had been able to replace the engine.Mr Prasun Banerjee, one of the passengers on the train said, “A group of people under the leadership of the Mr Rajesh Kumar, assistant station master severely beat up the protesters at the station. Three of them were injured seriously”The angry passengers also blocked the railway track near Eklakhi Junction Station against the highhandedness of the railway authorities.Mr Pravakar Bhattacharjee, one of the injured passengers, lodged an FIR with the local government railway police station against the assistant station master Mr Rajesh Kumar.“One man without uniform claimed himself to be the ASM and called some local people to beat us throwing stones and bricks. But the station master Mr Anil Kumar Sarkar was a nice man. He provided a car for a tribal girl (Madhyamik examinee) to go to the Madhyamik examination centre. But others failed to appear for the examination today because the train reached Buniadpur at around 1.30 pm,” Mr Bhattacharjee said over the phone.Mr Murmu, father of a Madhyamik examinee, was also injured in the attack by the 'anti-socials'.However, Mr Rajesh Kumar finally apologised after the intervention of the railway authorities. Following instructions from Malda SP, officers from Gazole police station rushed to the spot to control the situation.“There was a scuffle between the passengers and the railway staff initially. Later the assistant station master sought help from local people to tackle the angry passengers. When the local people realised the problem of the passengers they did not interfere”, Mr Satyajit Bandyopadhayay, SP, Malda said.It may be noted that though Eklakhi station, which is under the Northeast Frontier Railway, is nearer to Malda there was a technical problem to supply auxiliary engine there because Malda town station is under the control of the eastern railway.