NIA team in site to probe Andhra Pradesh derailment

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency has sent a team to the train accident site at Vizianagram to investigate any possibility of a sabotage. The Jagdalpur-Bhubaneswar Express train had derailed near Vizianagram on Saturday in which nearly 41 persons are said to have been killed.

The NIA is already probing the role of Pakistan’s ISI in the train accident near Kanpur in November last year after some criminals arrested by the Bihar police disclosed that they were paid by the ISI to plant explosives on the train. Sources said the Centre was planning to constitute a multi-agency team for further investigations into possibility of sabotage in recent cases of train accidents.

“Following the disclosure made by the criminals arrested by the Bihar police, we are not taking any chances. So all incidents of train derailment or accident in the last few months are being thoroughly investigated to ascertain whether there was any sabotage on part of Pakistan’s ISI. Nothing can be ruled out at this stage since rail network is a soft target and since surgical strikes, Pakistan has been trying to increase subversive activities in the country,” a senior intelligence official said.

The NIA is looking into the larger conspiracy involving ISI agents based in Nepal and Dubai into recent cases of train derailment. If claims of those arrested by the Bihar police are found to be correct, it would be the first incident of train derailment in India carried out on instructions of ISI. The home ministry has also sought reports from the Research & Analysis Wing about ISI activities in Nepal, Dubai and India.

Intelligence sources said they too had received so-me inputs that Pakistan’s ISI had paid Rs 30 lakh to its agent, Brajesh Giri, for triggering blasts on rail tracks targeting popular trains in Bihar. Central security agencies are now looking for two more persons, identified as Gajen-dra Sharma and Rakesh Yadav in East Champaran area, for their suspected links with the accused.

Investigating officials claimed that during custodial interrogation, the three arrested persons provided some “positive lead” about the Indore-Patna Express derailment in Kanpur. Intelligence sources said they were also investigating the possibility of some more terror modules across the country who may try to target the rail network at ISI’s behest.