The Hindu : `Many could have been saved'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 01, 2002

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National

`Many could have been saved'

RATLAM (Madhya Pradesh) FEB. 28. Many lives could have been saved yesterday when the Sabarmati Express was set ablaze by arsonists at Godhra, if Railway Protection Force (RPF) jawans had not left the spot following the stone pelting by miscreants, according to an eyewitness account.

The Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE), Sajjanlal Raniwal, who was in charge of S-3 and S-4 three-tier coaches of the Sabarmati Express, said here today that an armed RPF party had reached the spot soon after getting information. Despite being armed with rifles, they, however, fled in panic as soon as miscreants started throwing stones on them.

After that, he said, miscreants, equipped with sharp-edged and deadly weapons, brought about a reign of terror for more than an hour and finally set ablaze S-6 sleeper coach which was accommodating nearly 125 passengers, including 65 reserved ones.Mr. Raniwal said the express, which was running nearly seven hours late, reached Godhra from Ratlam at 7.45 a.m. yesterday.

During its 10-minute halt at Godhra, he said there was a dispute between `karsewaks' and some people at the platform, adding that it appeared that the issue was later pacified.

But somebody pulled the chain immediately after the train left the platform. As soon as the train stopped, a large number of violent miscreants, who were waiting at the stop, started stone pelting, he said.

He said guard S.N. Verma informed this to the Godhra stationmaster through his walkie-talkie. Passengers closed down the windows and doors in a state of utter confusion.

Meanwhile, some of the miscreants were heard saying ``set afire'' and they torched S-6 coach by pouring petrol, he said recalling that the fire brigade squad, which arrived on the information of the guard, could not begin carrying out rescue operation because of the stone pelting by miscreants.

He said men somehow managed to come swiftly out of the gutted coach. Women and children suffered a lot in this hour of utter confusion, he added.

After an hour, the fire brigade reached the spot with heavy police force which compelled miscreants to flee the scene.

After getting control over the situation, authorities detached the gutted coach and allowed the train to go to Ahmedabad.

He said he had run back to the station after arsonists set afire the coach. The terror of yesterday's incident was evident on the face of the Sabarmati Express' driver Rajendra Rao and assistant driver Mukesh Pachori, both of whom hailed from Ratlam.

UNI

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