Authorities in Sahibganj district said a CISF jawan died on Thursday after a fatal accident on the Farakka-Lalmatia Merry-Go-Round (MGR) railway line while he was on duty at NTPC Farakka. The deceased has been identified as 47-year-old Ashok Kumar Ghadei, a resident of Arvind Nagar in Brahmapur city, Ganjam district, Odisha.
What officials said
Sahibganj Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar Singh said Ghadei was travelling on a coal-laden goods train moving from Lalmatia in Godda district to the NTPC Farakka power plant in West Bengal. During routine patrolling, he reportedly got down from the train to address a vacuum-related issue involving the train’s brake system and was then run over by the train’s wheels.
Local reports said the body was found between Chutiya, also written as Chutia, and Kunwarpur on the MGR line. He suffered a serious head injury and a severed thigh. He was taken to the Barharwa Community Health Centre, where doctors declared him brought dead. The body was later sent to Rajmahal Sub-Divisional Hospital for post-mortem examination.
Police response and investigation
The CISF Commandant informed SP Amit Kumar Singh about the incident. Police teams, including personnel from Ranga Thana, reached the location. An investigation is underway to establish the exact circumstances of the accident.
About the Farakka-Lalmatia MGR route
Officials said CISF personnel are routinely deployed on coal-laden freight trains operating on the NTPC-owned and operated Farakka-Lalmatia MGR route. The source described this as a closed-loop system that is not part of the Indian Railways network. Their role is to prevent coal theft during transport from Eastern Coalfields Limited’s Rajmahal coal project at Lalmatia to the Farakka thermal power station.
The incident has led to mourning within the CISF unit at NTPC Farakka. Authorities have not yet released further details about Ghadei’s rank, service particulars, or family.
