NIA to probe sabotage angle in train derailments

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will probe the sabotage angle in the recent train derailments in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur and Andhra Pradesh's Kuneru area.

The agency has taken over the probe in these cases following an order from the Home Ministry, official sources said on Thursday.

An NIA team has already conducted an inspection of the site in Vizianagaram near Kuneru where Jagdalpur-Bhubaneswar Hirakhand Express went off the track to ascertain if it was an "act of terror" as the railway suspected sabotage. 39 people were killed in the accident that took place on Saturday.

The role of Pakistan's snooping agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in the derailment of Indore-Patna train on November 20 last year in Kanpur in which 150 people lost their lives is also being looked into.

Three persons arrested by Bihar Police in this connection had claimed sabotage by the ISI.

However, the NIA has found no evidence or input to this effect during its preliminary probe.

Moti Paswan, Uma Shankar and Mukesh Yadav, arrested from East Champaran district of Bihar, had claimed they had received Rs 3 lakh to plant IEDs at Ghorasahan railway station on October 1 last year.

The three had claimed they worked for the ISI and reportedly confessed about its possible role in the derailment.

The NIA had registered a case in this regard and started its probe. A team of officials had also gone to Bihar to question the accused.