NHRC notice to Railway board chairman

CUTTACK: The Railways, which has been trying to brush aside the incident of a TTE allegedly pushing off an unemployed youth from the running train near Jajpur Road Railway station in 2009 as an accident, has once again come under the scanner of the National Human Rights Commission.  The NHRC has prima facie held the TTE responsible for pushing Benudhar Bhoi (24), an unemployed youth, off the running train for not possessing a ticket and issued notice to the Chairman of the Railway Board directing him to show cause as to why the victim should not be provided with compensation. The Chairman has been directed to file response within six weeks.  Bhoi had allegedly been pushed by the TTE between Jakhapur and Jajpur Road railway station in May 2009. He was serious injured and had to undergo amputation of his leg.  Taking up his matter, advocate Prabir Das had filed a petition with NHRC which had asked the Railway Ministry and the Railway Board to respond to the allegations as back as May 2009. Pursuant to the directions of the NHRC, the Chief Commercial Manager had submitted that a team of two officers had probed the incident and found that Benudhar and his cousin Pradeep were travelling without ticket on May 11, 2009.  They were caught between Jakhapur and Jajpur Road station and the TTE asked them to get down at the next stop. When the train slowed down Benudhar jumped off and sustained injuries. He was shifted to the SCBMCH where his right leg had to be amputated.   As he was a ticketless traveller, he was not eligible for compensation but the ECoR Railway Women’s Welfare Organisation had paid Rs 10,000 for his treatment. The enquiry also concluded that the TTE was not at fault.  However, the petitioner Das countered the Railway’s contention stating that Government Railway Police Bhadrak has investigated the matter and has submitted a chargesheet against the TTE in the court of the sub divisional judicial magistrate Bhadrak for trial. The Commission deemed the chargesheet as prima facie evidence of the culpability of the TTE in the incident and issued notice to the Chairman Railway Board.