Sainthia tragedy: Last body handed to kin

BURDWAN: Almost eight months after the Sainthia train accident, the last of victims' bodies kept at the Burdwan Medical College Hospital morgue was handed over to his family last Thursday.
After the collision between the Vananchal Express and the Uttar Banga Express on July 19, 2010, 20 bodies had been sent to the BMCH morgue, and 19 of them were subsequently released.The last one could not be released due to identification problems because it was headless. Soon after the accident, Baidyanath Shaw and Munna Kumar Shaw from Bhojpur in Bihar had identified the body as that of Bholanath Shaw, 55, Baidyanath brother and Munna's father from a knife injury mark on the elbow.
Shaw used to sell tea leaves to tea stall at railway stations. "On that fateful day, he had boarded the Vananchal Express on work, but never returned. After getting news of the accident, we rushed from pillar to post before finally locating his body at the BMCH morgue," Baidyanath added.
But the body was not released because the authorities felt the evidence provided by the family was not strong enough. "They refused to hand over the body. We had no option but to lodge a case with the help of advocate Gouri Guha," said Baidyanath.
The case was probed by Sainthia GRP. On March 24, additional sessions judge of Rampurhat, Shyamal Gupta, directed that the body be handed over to the family. He said there was no need to conduct a DNA test.
Sixty-three persons had died and 150 were injured when the Uttar Banga Express rammed into Ranchi-bound Vananchal Express. Investigators later said errors by Birbhum's Sainthia station and signalling staff had resulted in the disaster.