Saturday, February 26 2005 19:35 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, which held that the Godhra train fire was an accident and there was no miscreant activity behind it, has castigated the "high-ups" of the Western Railway for not adhering to basic statutory rules and for giving the Accident Manual a "complete go by."

"The entire approach seem to be very casual and unfortunately, the high-ups in the Western Railway administration did not adhere to even the basic statutory rules and observance of which is mandatory", the two-part interim report of the high-level panel lead by Justice U B Banerjee, tabled in Parliament today (Feb 26, 2005), has said.

The report, presented by Railway Minister Laloo Prasad immediately after the Railway Budget, observed that "the Accident Manual, which contains so many do's and don'ts, has been given a complete go by" and said there appeared to be "a total lack of discipline and professionalism."

In its conclusions, it said that there was "preponderance of evidence" including those gathered from the kar sevaks that there was first a burning smell and only thereafter there was dense smoke. Flames were "noticed much later."

The report said had there been any inflammable liquid, "it would in fact catch fire upon ignition immediately and there would thus be a change of total sequential aspect, to wit, first the flame, then the smell and lastly the smoke."