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NIA visits train derailment site, toll is 41

The death toll in the train derailment in Andhra Pradesh's Vizianagaram district rose to 41 as NIA and CID teams…

IANS | Vizianagaram (Andhra Pradesh) | January 23, 2017 7:32 am

NIA visits train derailment site, toll is 41

(Photo: AFP)

The death toll in the train derailment in Andhra Pradesh's Vizianagaram district rose to 41 as NIA and CID teams visited the scene on Monday to study if there was sabotage.

Two more bodies were recovered from one of the derailed coaches of the Jagdalpur-Bhubaneswar Hirakhand Express on Monday, police said.

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The tragedy occurred on Saturday at 11.30 p.m. near Kuneru station, 24 km from Rayagada in Odisha. The train was on its way to the Odisha capital Bhubaneswar from Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh.

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Officials said 68 passengers were injured due to the derailment of nine coaches. They were being treated in hospitals in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team visited the accident site on Monday to probe the sabotage angle.

NIA is already probing the alleged role of Pakistan's Inter Services Agency (ISI) behind the Indore-Patna Express derailment near Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh that claimed 150 lives.

Andhra Pradesh's Crime Investigation Department (CID) also visited the accident site on Monday.

The CID officials included Additional Director General of Police Dwaraka Tirumala Rao and Inspector General of Police Amit Garg.

Officials have not ruled out the involvement of Maoists as the Andhra-Odisha border area is considered a Maoist stronghold.

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The Kerala High Court, on Thursday, granted bail to M K Nasar, one of the individuals convicted by the special NIA court last year in the case of chopping the hands of Professor T J Joseph in 2010. A division bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan and Justice P V Balakrishnan suspended Nasar’s sentence and granted conditional bail to him after considering his appeal against the NIA court’s conviction in the case Considering the prolonged detention and citing the potential for trial delays, the court suspended Nasar’s sentence and granted conditional bail, taking into account that some co-accused with similar allegations had already been released after serving shorter terms. The court noted that he had already spent nine years in jail and that delays in resolving appeals could justify suspending a convict’s prison term. It also observed that other accused in the case had received lesser sentences and had already been released after serving their terms. “The applicant has been undergoing incarceration, at the pre-conviction and post-conviction phases, for over 9 years. Furthermore, the fact that the accused facing the same allegations were earlier imposed a lesser term of imprisonment and have been released after having undergone the sentence is a factor that cannot be ignored. Additionally, the appeals filed by the NIA against the findings of the learned Sessions Judge are being considered in separate appeals, which have not yet been taken up. “There is also the likelihood of delay, as the prime accused has surrendered, and the learned Sessions Judge may have to take up the trial and dispose of it in accordance with the law and some of the original records may be required for that purpose. In view of these facts and circumstances, we are of the considered opinion that the sentence imposed on the applicant can be suspended pending the consideration of the appeal.” The court said The court, however, imposed strict conditions for Nasar’s bail. He is not supposed to provide a bond of Rs 1 lakh with two sureties, refrain from leaving the country without the court’s permission, avoid interfering with the trial or witnesses, and not commit similar offences while on bail The gruesome incident dates back to July 4, 2010, when Joseph, a professor at Newman College, Thodupuzha, was returning from Sunday mass with his family, members of the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI) attacked him, allegedly in retaliation for a question paper he set, which contained a passage that they claimed insulted Prophet Mohammed was derogatory. His right hand was chopped off in this attack. Nasar was accused of playing a critical role in the attack. Investigations revealed his involvement in recruiting gang members, assigning specific tasks, collecting funds, procuring communication devices, and maintaining communication links with key conspirators.

The Kerala High Court, on Thursday, granted bail to M K Nasar, one of the individuals convicted by the special NIA court last year in the case of chopping the hands of Professor T J Joseph in 2010.