The West Bengal Forest Department has filed a First Information Report (FIR) against three railway officials in connection with the death of a mother elephant and her two calves, who were struck by the Jan Shatabdi Express on the night of 18 July near Sardiha railway station, approximately 20 kilometres from the Jharkhand border.
According to sources in the Government Railway Police (GRP), the FIR was lodged late Friday at the Jhargram GRP police station. Those named in the complaint include the driver of the Jan Shatabdi Express, the station manager of Sardiha, and the Divisional Traffic Inspector of Kharagpur Division. The case has been registered under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the Elephant Preservation Act, 1879, and Section 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for causing wilful grievous hurt.
Jhargram Divisional Forest Officer Umar Imam confirmed the development. “An FIR has been filed against the railways at the GRP police station. Coordination between the railways and the forest department will be increased in the coming days to avoid such incidents,” he said.
The South Eastern Railway has denied any negligence, stating it had not received a formal warning, telephonic or written, about elephant movement in the area. In a statement issued Saturday, the Railways acknowledged that a message alerting about elephant presence was posted in a general WhatsApp group at 10:56 p.m. on 18 July. However, it maintained that such messages are not expected to be read or acted upon immediately at night.
Also read: Forest, Railways lock horns over Bengal elephant deaths
The Railways further noted that the Forest Department had issued formal memos in the past, including on 6 July, which had successfully enabled authorities to slow down trains to prevent wildlife casualties. Similar coordination was observed on 8 May, 1 April, 14 February, 27 January, and 24 January, according to the statement.
Following the incident, a joint inspection was conducted on Saturday by officials of both departments. A high-level meeting was held at the Kharagpur Divisional Office in Hijli, attended by Divisional Railway Manager K.R. Choudhary and South Bengal’s Chief Wildlife Warden Sandeep Sundriyal.
“Despite the five-hour disruption in services, the Railways remain committed to preserving biodiversity. Steps will be taken to strengthen early warning systems and improve coordination with forest officials,” the Railways said.
Sundriyal added, “We are examining all issues in coordination with the Railways to ensure elephants can cross designated corridors safely. Necessary and appropriate measures will be implemented.”
The accident occurred in a well-documented elephant corridor between Jhargram and Sardiha stations. Conservationists and forest officials have repeatedly warned of the dangers posed by high-speed trains in wildlife zones. The latest tragedy has renewed calls for comprehensive preventive measures, including real-time alerts, speed regulations, and underpasses along vulnerable stretches of track.
The FIR signals a possible turning point in how accountability for wildlife deaths is enforced, as public concern mounts over the ecological consequences of expanding railway infrastructure through protected habitats.
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