Rly cops yet to see Borge statement

Mumbai: Nine days after Air Works technician Bharat Borge died mysteriously on the train tracks at Vile Parle, the railway police investigating the circumstances leading to his death are yet to see a copy of the most relevant document, Borge's statement recorded by the crime branch.
Borge was a key witness in the Anil Ambani chopper sabotage case. Based on his statement, the crime branch had arrested two Air Works helpers - Uday Warekar and Palraj Thevar - for the sabotage attempt. Now, the railway police has almost come to the conclusion that Borge's death was an accident.
"We have been co-ordinating with crime branch officers, who had questioned Borge after the chopper sabotage was discovered. "But we haven't seen his statement,'' said a senior railway police official.
Former IPS officer Y P Singh said the railway police need to go through Borge's statement if they are trying to establish how he died. "Under Section 174 of CrPC, it is the statutory duty of the police to fully investigate an accidental death, just like a normal offence. The statement recorded by the crime branch is the most relevant document in this case. As Borge is no more, his statement is like an extra-judicial confession,'' Singh said.
Based on the post-mortem report, eyewitness accounts of the motorman, whose train crushed Borge to death, and others present at the site, the railway police is close to concluding that Borge's death was an accident. "The post-mortem report said that he died of multiple injuries. The motorman had honked several times when the train was 100 feet away from Borge, but the latter remained rooted to the spot. From our investigation, we believe that he must have been pre-occupied with thoughts about the chopper case when he was crossing the tracks and the approaching train hit him,'' said ACP Prakash Sawant. "How he landed up at the Vile Parle level-crossing, instead of Santa Cruz station where he usually alights, is not clear.''
08/05/09 Nitasha Natu/Times of India

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Categories: Airports May 2009, Indian Aviation- In General May 2009, Safety May 2009