The Centre on Wednesday ordered a CBI probe into the Gyaneswari Express derailment last Friday following another request by railway minister Mamata Banerjee, whose Trinamul Congress demolished the Left in the West Bengal civic elections the same day. The train attack had been blamed on the Maoists.
Top government sources said a CBI inquiry was ordered under Section 5 of the Delhi Police Special Establishment Act, which empowers the CBI to take up investigation of incidents on railway property and thus does not require the concurrence of the state government. The West Bengal government later Wednesday agreed to “associate” itself with the probe once the Union home ministry communicated its decision. The CBI will be assisted by a number of Central agencies, including the Railway Protection Force, as well as by the West Bengal police.
The Centre’s move comes as another major victory for Ms Banerjee, who has been demanding a thorough CBI inquiry into the train tragedy even while blaming her political rivals. Welcoming the government’s decision, the railway minister said in Kolkata: “Whoever has done it, the culprits should be brought to book. It is a heinous crime. The truth should come out.”
Government sources said there was dilly-dallying by the West Bengal government, whose cooperation was necessary since the state CID had already initiated an inquiry.