Railway Safety Commissioner to hold public hearing at Ambala

New Delhi, Feb 20 (UNI) The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS, Northern Circle), who has been ordered to hold an inquiry into the Samjhauta Express twin blasts near Panipat, will hold public hearing for two days -- February 23 and 24 -- at Ambala in Haryana.

A top official of Northern Railway told UNI that Mr Bhupinder Singh, who is the CRS, Northern Circle, would conduct public hearing to gather evidences and record statements of eyewitnesses and others.

Meanwhile, three staffers of the Railways have been suspended for improper documentation of the records of the passengers on the Samjhauta Express.

Three booking clerks, posted at Old Delhi station, were suspended last night for not maintaining proper records of the passengers travelling on the 'Friendship Train', the official said.

He, however, clarified that it was not a case of security lapse.

''The suspension of the clerks is part of a regular departmental action. It is not a security lapse,'' he pointed out.

As many as 68 people died and several others were injured after the two blasts occurred on the Samjhauta Express going from Delhi to Lahore yesterday morning, at Diwana in Panipat.

UNI