The principal district and sessions court on Monday sentenced a loco pilot to 10 years rigorous imprisonment for causing a train accident in 2011 that claimed the lives of 12 persons and injured 71.
In an inquiry that followed the accident, it was found that he was speaking over mobile phone while driving the train and had failed to notice the red signal and also violated the stipulated speed limit.
Delivering the verdict, principal district and sessions judge S. Ananthi sentenced A. Rajkumar, the then loco pilot of Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit (MEMU) Train no. 66017 – Chennai Beach to Vellore Cantonment, to 10 years rigorous imprisonment under Section 304 Part II of the Indian Penal Code.
He was sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹one lakh under Section 3 of the Tamil Nadu Public Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act 1992 read with Section 151 of the Railways Act.
If he failed to pay the fine, he will have to undergo one year imprisonment. He was acquitted of charges filed under Section 308 (attempt to culpable homicide) of the IPC. He will undergo the imprisonment concurrently.
At 9.24 p.m. on September 13, 2011, Rajkumar, who was driving the MEMU, rammed the Arakkonam-Katpadi Passenger train that was waiting for signal near Chitheri. He was speaking over phone and did not notice the red signal, A. Dilli Babu, public prosecutor, said.
“As per stipulated rules, the train should ply at 75 kmph. Instead, the train was plying at 97 kmph,” he said.
A total of 74 witnesses were examined in the case. There were 11 material objects that included the loco pilot’s cell phone and train’s speedometer.
