Who was Kamal Senapati? Hooghly railway officer dies after being hit by train

On Friday, Kamal Senapati, a 53-year-old senior engineer in the Public Works Department (PWD) of Eastern Railway, died after being hit by a train close to the station at Hooghly railway station.
While the exact circumstances surrounding his death are still under investigation, some of his colleagues have alleged that prolonged work pressure may have taken a heavy toll on him.
Police are currently investigating whether the death was an accident or a case of suicide.

Who was Kamal Senapati?

Kamal Senapati was serving as a Senior Engineer in the Railway’s Public Works Department at Hooghly station. He had been handling massive responsibilities within the department.
On Friday morning, Kamal reportedly left his residence in Hooghly at around 8 am. Sources reported that he was scheduled to travel to Chandannagar for official duties.

ALSO READ| Did you know Bengal once had its own airline? Here’s why it never took flight

Just shortly after leaving home, he was hit by a train near Hooghly railway station, resulting in his death on the spot. Following the incident, personnel from the Bandel Government Railway Police (GRP) reached the location, recovered the body and sent it for post-mortem examination.

What has raised questions?

Eyewitnesses claimed that Kamal was struck by a train running on Line No. 3 at Hooghly station. They also noted that Kamal was expected to board a train to Chandannagar from the down-line platform. If that was the case, they wonder why he was on or near the up-line track, where the fatal accident occurred.
Many of his colleagues suspect that the incident may not have been accidental.
Even some employees raised concerns over mounting work pressure within the department. According to a section of railway workers, employees have been working under considerable stress for an extended period.
They alleged that leave has become increasingly difficult to obtain and that many workers are expected to remain available almost round the clock due to operational demands.
Some colleagues further claimed that Kamal had been under huge mental pressure in recent weeks. They alleged that he had also been threatened with suspension and said the matter had already been brought to the attention of the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM).

ALSO READ| Who is Sumit Roy? Supreme Court orders not to arrest Abhishek Banerjee’s close aide
The railway workers’ organisation has also warned of industrial action if their concerns remain unaddressed.
However, Bandel GRP sources noted that no formal complaint has been lodged so far.
Meanwhile, an Eastern Railway official, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed grief over the incident and told Ei Samay, “This is a very sad incident. We will talk to the people of the house. We are trying to contact them. We are investigating the matter.”