Govt asks Assam to maintain strict vigil on rail tracks

The Centre has asked the Assam government to maintain utmost vigil, especially on the railway network, in the wake of derailment of an express train following a blast near Guwahati.

Secretary (Internal Security) in the Ministry of Home Affairs Utthan Kumar Bansal said the Assam government has assured the Central government that "vigorous steps" are being taken to apprehend those responsible for the bomb blast.

"In the last three months, the Central government had shared a number of intelligence inputs with the government of Assam on possible threats to the railway network," he said in a statement here.

Bansal said these intelligence inputs pointed to possible violent acts by anti-talk faction of the NDFB. However, the group's publicity secretary B Sanjio has denied the involvement of his organisation and likewise, ULFA has also denied its involvement and has condemned the blast.

"It is learnt that an email has been received by a Guwahati-based television channel from a group called 'Adivasi People's Army'. This group has claimed responsibility for the bomb blast. The email has been sent by one Sylvia Orang, a self-styled commander of the group. He is otherwise known as Soren," Bansal said.

The IED blast on Sunday evening completely damaged a stretch of the railway track and led to derailment of seven bogies of the Guwahati-Puri Express, injuring over 100 passengers in Assam's rural Kamrup district. The explosion completely damaged 200 m of track and fuse wire and detonators were also found from the sport.