Wednesday, May 17 2006 11:14 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: The Bihar Government has handed over a fresh probe being conducted into the 2002 Rajdhani Express disaster to the Crime Investigation Department (CID).

Inspector General of Police (Headquarters) Anil Kumar Sinha said today that the CID has been entrusted with the task of a thorough probe into the accident near Rafiganj in Aurangabad district that killed over 100 people.

The decision assumes significance in the wake of notices served on Bihar police chief Ashish Ranjan Sinha and CRPF Director-General Jyoti Kumar Sinha by DIG(Railway) A K Verma seeking to know whether they had been informed in advance of the naxalites' plan to blow up the train.

Ashish Ranjan Sinha and Jyoti Sinha were ADG (Patna zone) and ADG(Railway) respectively at the time of the incident.

Latest investigations have revealed that the disaster was the handiwork of Maoist rebels under a conspiracy hatched during the erstwhile RJD regime to defame former Railway Minister Nitish Kumar who is now the state chief minister.

The state government has ordered a fresh probe into the incident and has decided to record the statements of Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and former Bihar DGP R R Prasad, besides former Aurangabad SP Sunil Kumar Jha for having influenced the course of investigation earlier.

A fresh FIR has also been lodged at Sone Nagar railway police station under Aurangabad district, police said.