New Delhi: An Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) officer who was hit by a passenger train in Madhya Pradesh last week died due to “negligence” on the part of the Railways and had been “mentally harassed at work” by senior officers, his family has alleged.
The family of Yadvendra Singh Bhati, a 2018-batch IRTS officer, has said that they’re still struggling to get an FIR registered with the Government Railway Police, which comes under the state government.
The 32-year-old, who had got married just a month ago to a fellow IRTS officer, died while on duty supervising work on the railway tracks late in the evening on 23 June.
According to the complaint filed by Bhati’s mother Ranjana, a series of lapses at more than one level led to her only son’s death. She has been trying to get an FIR registered under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code.
Her first complaint was submitted to the Government Railway Police (GRP) station at Shahdol on 24 June. When she was allegedly denied an FIR, she lodged a second complaint at the same police station and with the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) on 27 June. ThePrint has copies of both complaints.
Speaking to ThePrint, Bhati’s wife and fellow IRTS officer Varsha Chhalotre said the family was yet to receive an official communication expressing condolences from the Railways. “We want an inquiry by a neutral agency, and I want justice for my husband,” she added.
A native of Udaipur in Rajasthan, Bhati was posted as area manager at Baikunthpur in the Bilaspur Division of the South East Central Railway Zone.
Bhati’s family has alleged that the train that hit him was “let off” for alleged violation of security protocols. It was supposed to pass at 30 km/hour through the area where work was in progress, but ran at a speed of 80 km/hour, they claimed.
The alerting system to inform the people at work about an incoming train did not work, and the train driver did not get a “go slow” memo from the station manager, according to the family.
“Bhati, who was standing between two tracks, got hit on his face and bled profusely. He was declared dead on arrival at the hospital,” said a railway officer, also Bhati’s batchmate and colleague, quoting from a preliminary inquiry report by area officers.
Amitabh Sharma, executive director (information & publicity) in the railway ministry, told ThePrint: “We sympathise with the bereaved family. The divisional railway manager (DRM) has set up a three-member committee to inquire into the matter.”
ThePrint also got in touch with the office of MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. “We will address the grievances and surely look into the matter of the FIR,” said a senior government official.
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Complaint of negligence and harassment
Bhati’s family members and batchmates, including IRTS, IRS, IPS, and IAS officers of the 2018 batch, participated in a video conference with senior railway officials on 27 June, requesting an FIR in the case and an inquiry into the allegations of negligence on the part of the Railways.
The complaint submitted by the family said: “June 23, between 14.30 hrs to 19.40 hrs, at Amlai railway station, construction work was going on for the new line, a few hundred labourers were working in the yard, where there were frequent train movements. For the safety of labourers and other railway staff, the planning of construction work called ‘pre-non-interlocking planning’ had provision for three persons deputed exclusively for blowing hooters or sirens or whistles for alerting all staff and labour for incoming trains.”
“All three persons did not blow the hooter/ siren/ whistles and recklessly failed in their duty to alert Yadvendra Singh Bhati (deceased) because of which an incoming train hit the deceased and caused his death,” it added.
“Trains were supposed to come at 30 kmph speed at Amlai railway station but it (this train) approached the station at 80 kmph because speed restriction board was missing — it was [the] duty of [the] junior engineer construction posted at Anuppur railway station to put [up the] speed indicator board but he was reckless and negligent and did not erect the speed indicator board. Hence, the train which was supposed to come at 30 km per hour speed came at 80 km per hour speed and hit the deceased, Yadvendra Singh Bhati,” it further said.
Bhati’s mother has also submitted that her son used to be “harassed” by senior officers on a regular basis, was not allotted a house, not allowed to take leave to see his father who was in the ICU, and that his application for transfer to the location where his wife was posted was summarily rejected.
“The negligent conduct is a continuation of constant harassment that the deceased, Yadvendra Singh Bhati, was subjected to… creating tremendous mental pressure on the deceased in the days preceding the incident. Their conduct is highly circumspect and their involvement in causing unnatural death may be probed. The delay in registration of FIR will weaken the case for prosecution and further allow and alert the accused to escape from the process of law,” the mother wrote.
“There was constant mental harassment, but he never ignored his duty or his responsibility of being the area manager. He got married to Varsha on 24 May and we lost him on 23 June,” Ranjana Bhati told ThePrint.
Bhati’s colleague quoted earlier said it “was his first posting after completion of training last year. He (Bhati) was then given additional responsibility at Shahdol. This entire area is known as the coal-loading track in the division”.
Another batchmate said, “The issue has been treated in a very insensitive way”.
“The family did not even get an official communication or a condolence message from the Railways. There has been no word on compensation either. He died in the line of duty,” he said.
What rail ministry says
The railway ministry has clarified some of the issues raised by the family members and friends of the officer regarding his accommodation, compensation and the probe.
“Since ARM Baikunthpur was a newly created post and as such the nominated quarter by railways was yet to be constructed, therefore accommodation through SECL [A PSU under Government of India] was arranged from the period of the first incumbent (Swapnil) itself. The first incumbent (also a direct officer) stayed in this quarter till his posting as Area Manager, Bhilai, and Yadvendra Bhati was posted subsequent to the transfer of Swapnil and was offered the same accommodation. After staying there for some time, he preferred to shift to the Railway Rest House at Manendragarh. Bhati was also provided with an official vehicle to enable him to travel in his section for inspection and field visit purposes,” the Railways said in a statement.
On compensation, Amitabh Sharma said: “The process of granting ex-gratia has been completed and the family has been paid Rs 25 lakh ex-gratia. The process for disbursement of compensation under Workmen’s Compensation Act has been initiated in Bilaspur division.”
On the alleged safety lapses, he added: “It has been alleged that the incident was caused due to lack of safety measures at the site. To ascertain the facts, the matter is being inquired into by three senior joint secretary-level officers from traffic, engineering and loco operation departments. An inquiry committee was ordered on the very next day of the incident, and has been tasked to look into the entire sequence of events, including any negligence/shortfalls in safety measures.”
(The report has been updated with a response from the railways)
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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