Chhattisgarh CM has a narrow escape

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh and Agriculture Minister Nanki Ram Kanwar had a providential escape in Korba district as a speeding train came on to the tracks as their convoy was about to cross the railway level crossing.

When the convoy of the chief minister was about to cross the railway track on Monday, a speeding goods train passed through the route outside Korba city at Sunaliya railway crossing, about 275 km from Raipur, Korba District Superintendent of Police Himanshu Gupta told PTI.

However, on seeing the train, the pilot car stopped and alerted the other vehicles, Gupta said.

Meanwhile, railways have suspended four personnel -- the driver, the assistant driver of the train, the gateman and the cabin man of the level crossing in this connection and has sent its officials from the headquarters in Bilaspur for an inquiry into the matter.

It is a security lapse and a mistake on the part of the railways as the gates on both sides of the level crossing were open although local railway authorities were informed about the time of crossing of the CM's convoy, officials said.

Bharatiya Janata Party legislator of Korba district and Agriculture Minister Nanki Ram Kanwar, three top officials from IPS, IFS and IAS, including the SP himself, Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Sanjita Gupta were also in the convoy, he said.

"We are waiting for further reports on the incident from our officials," spokesman of South-East Central Railway Zone Santosh Kumar told PTI from Bilaspur.