Rly min defers events after DRM’s death

Kolkata: Railway minister Piyush Goyal has called off programmes of Eastern Railway (ER) and South Eastern Railway (SER) scheduled for the next two days after the demise of S K Saha, divisional railway manager (DRM), Howrah Division, on Saturday.

Saha, an electrical engineer who served for several years at NITI Aayog as an advisor, was in his early 50s and passed away at a city hospital due to multi-organ failure.

“Goyal was to inaugurate several projects virtually at Santragachhi, Sankrail and other locations over the next two days. After coming to know of Saha’s death, he expressed concern and called off the events. They will be held later,” a railway official said.

Saha’s colleagues and seniors are shocked at how a person who was apparently totally fit on January 30 and completed a 12-hour inspection of Bolpur could have suffered this fate in a couple of weeks. Doctors at the private hospital on Bypass said he had contracted Hepatitis A, after which his vital organs started failing.

“In a last-ditch effort, Saha’s wife donated her liver and is still in hospital. Their son has also been detected with Hepatitis A. Saha’s father, bedridden due to age-related ailments, suffered a stroke hearing about his son’s multi-organ failure and passed away a few days ago. We are still unable to reconcile with the tragedy,” a colleague said.