Maoists behind train mishap, some identified: DGP

Kolkata May 29 (PTI) The police of the eastern Indian
state of West Bengal Saturday night said Maoists were behind
the Jnaneswari Express derailment and claimed to have
identified the culprits behind the incident that has claimed
136 lives so far.
"Those who did it are all members of Maoist squads. We
have identified them and search is on to nab them," Director
General of Police Bhupinder Singh told reporters here.
He said two members of a Maoist squad, who were recently
released on bail, had led the operation.
"We have information that the two, along with others of
the squad, had gone to the site on the night of the incident
and had opened the pendral clips and fishplates before the
derailment occurred," he said, adding the Maoists also took
help of the PCPA.
In reply to a question, he said that investigators
probing the incident have collected a number of samples from
the site and have not come across evidence of any explosion as
claimed by the driver of the express train.
Besides the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and
the state police teams, a team of forensic experts were also
at the site, he said.
Twelve railway linesmen posted in the Khemasuli-Saridha
area were being questioned by investigators, the official
said.
Asked to comment on the silence by Maoists following the
incident, he said, "They speak only when they kill the police.
They remain silent while killing civilians. They are waging a
war against the state."
Thirteen coaches of the passenger train derailed in the
wee hours on Friday as portions of the track was missing. A
goods train coming from the opposite direction rammed into
five of them, causing the maximum casualties. PTI SBR
RDM