Examinees Go On Rampage At New Jalpaiguri Station

Irate examinees on Sunday went on the rampage at New Jalpaiguri railway station ransacking the station master's office, damaging an engine and two AC coaches and trying to set fire to the station.

NF Railway Area Manager Parthasarathi Shil said over one lakh examinees from Bihar had arrived in Siliguri on Saturday to appear for the examinations for the Group-D posts conducted by the West Bengal government at various centres in north Bengal.

They were on their way back home from New Jalpaiguri junction.

However, no trains were available for the return journey yesterday, Mr Shil said.

The examinees approached the station master on Saturday night and demanded arrangements for them to stay overnight at the station. However, they were allegedly chased away by the RPF, sources said.

The agitated examinees went on the rampage on Sunday morning.

They ransacked several platforms and the station master's office, burnt tyres on the tracks, held up the Awadh-Assam express and damaged its engine and two AC coaches and tried to set fire to the station, Mr Shil said.

The RPF together with the NJP police brought the situation under control. Several passengers, however, sustained injuries, the sources said.

Mr Shil said the damage to railway property was estimated at Rs. one crore and the RPF had lodged an FIR against the agitators.

Several superfast and long distance trains were held up as a result of the agitation. These included Awadh-Assam express and Sealdah-Kamakhya express, the sources said.

The agitaion was lifted at around 11 am on Sunday after the Railways provided a special train to transport the examinees to Bihar, Mr Shil said.

Meanwhile, the NJP Railway Passengers Welfare Committee President Dipak Mohanty alleged that the situation would not have taken an ugly turn had proper a