Neutral Citation No. - 2025:AHC-LKO:7864-DB Court No. - 2 Case :- WRIT - C No. - 8562 of 2022 Petitioner :- Nidhi Devi Alias Nidhi Devi Mishra Respondent :- Union Of India Thru. Secy. Ministry Of Railways, New Delhi And Others Counsel for Petitioner :- Ashish Mishra Atal Counsel for Respondent :- A.S.G.I.,Akansha Dubey Hon'ble Rajan Roy,J. Hon'ble Om Prakash Shukla,J. (Order on C.M. Application No.IA/1/2023:Application for Amendment) Heard. As regards the Amendment Application, we are of the view that Section 15 of The Railways Act, 1989 was not attracted to the facts of the case as the said provision is part of Chapter IV of The Railways Act, 1989 under the heading 'Construction and Maintenance of Works', therefore, rejection of the claim of the petitioner by the District Judge under the said provision does not come in the way of the petitioner in seeking the relief as prayed herein. We, therefore, dismiss the application. (Order on Memo of Writ Petition) After hearing the parties, what comes out is that there is evidence on record which was collected during inquiry ordered by the Railways itself that the railway barriers at the 'passing' fell all of a sudden, accidentally, therefore, we are of the prima facie opinion that the rejection of the claim of the petitioner was not justified. Statement of Gate Man Sri Rahul Bansal, who was working on Gate No.45 A Hempur under the Station Superintendent, Hempur on 08.04.2018 i.e. the very crossing where the incident involving injury to the petitioner, copy of which is annexed as part of Annexure No.4 to the Writ Petition and reads as under:- "बययान शቦኍ रयाहहल बबंसल कयायररत गगेट ममैन गगेट न० 45A हगेमपपुर अधቦኍन स्टगेशन अधቦኍ्ቌक हगेमपपुर बयावत गगेट डगेससबंग ददिनयाक 8/4/2018 पपूछतयाछ करनगे पर शቦኍ रयाहहल बबंसल नगे बययान दकयया दक मम स्टगेशन अधቦኍ्ቌक हगेमपपुर कगे अधቦኍन गगेट ममैन कगे पदि पर कयायररत हह। आज ददिनयाक 8/4/2018 कको मगेरቦኍ डपूटቦኍ गगेट न० 45 A हगेमपपुर पर समय 8/00 बजगे सगे 20/00 बजगे तक बततौर गगेट ममैन हमै। मगेरቦኍ डपूटቦኍ कगे दितौरयान आज ददिनयाक 8/4/2018 कको sm hmp कगे आदिगेश पर अप BCNE HL कगे सलए गगेट कको सड़क ययातयाययात कगे सलए बन्दि कर मयालगयाड़ቦኍ कको गगेट सगे पयास दकयया। गयाड़ቦኍ पयास हकोनगे कगे उपरयान्त मम sm hmp कगे आदिगेश पर समय 14/52 बजगे गगेट कको सड़क ययातयाययात कगे सलए खकोल रहया थया गगेट आधगे सगे असधक खपुल पयायया थया उसቦኍ समय गगेट कया सቦኍतयापपुर सयाइड पपूरब ददिशया कया गगेट बपूम अचयानक पमैड स्ट्ल कगे पयास सगे टपूट कर पपूरब सगे पशशचम ददिशया ककी ओर आ रहगे मकोटर सयाइदकल सवयार कगे ऊपर दगर गयया सजससगे मकोटर सयाइदकल चयालक एवम सयाथቦኍ मदहलया कको कयाफकी चकोटगे आ गई। मकोटर सयाइदकल सवयार दिकोनन घयायलको कको बयाहरቦኍ लकोगको दयारया 108 एम्बपुललस बपुलयाकर कर सजलया-दचदकत्सयालय सቦኍतयापपुर भगेजया गयया । मकोटर सयाइदकल स्प्ललडर प्लस नबं० UP-34 AF 0637 हमै। ममनगे घटनया कगे बयावत sm/hmp कको अवगत करयायया। मगेरቦኍ डपूटቦኍ कगे दितौरयान उ्ሹ घटनया सगे पहलगे गगेट सहቦኍ कयाम कर रहया थया और मगेरቦኍ अपनቦኍ पपूरर जयानकयारቦኍ मगे गगेट बपूम सगे दकसቦኍ वयाहन दयारया टक्कर नहीሻ लगቦኍ हमै। यहቦኍ मगेरया बययान हमै । हस्तया्ቌर (रयाहहल बबंसल) गगेट ममैन 45A हगेमपपुर ददिनयाबंकक8-4-2-18" The said statement has not been denied in the counter affidavit. Averments in Para 5 of the counter affidavit are perverse being contrary to the statement quoted above. The Statement of the said railway employee itself is sufficient to establish that the incident resulting in injuries to the petitioner took place on account of faulty functioning of the barrier installed by the Railways, therefore, for the Divisional Railway Manager, Northern Railway, Moradabad to say as he has done in the impugned order dated 04.12.2019 that the petitioner should have been more cautions and that the incident occurred on account of negligence of the motor cyclist cannot be accepted by any stretch of imagination. None of the evidence as collected during the inquiry ordered by the Railway Authorities has been discussed in the impugned order. The order is cryptic one which has been passed only to deny the petitioner's rightful claim to compensation. Not only it suffers from abject non application of mind to the facts of the case and the evidence collected during inquiry but also it displays a predetermination on the part of the Officer to absolve the Railways from any monetary liability in the matter. Certain guidelines have been placed before us which are annexed alongwith a covering letter dated 05.11.2018. Prima facie it appears that the said guidelines were for settlement of claims for compensation on accidents applicable to the Ministry of Railways and Public Sector Undertakings under its control and would apply to the facts of this case also, therefore, reconsideration of the matter is required in the light of said guidelines. We accordingly quash the order dated 04.12.2019 and direct the authority competent under the guidelines circulated vide letter dated 05.11.2018, which has been taken on record, to reconsider the matter and take a decision accordingly within three months, keeping in mind the observations recorded hereinabove. The Writ Petition is disposed of. (Om Prakash Shukla,J.) (Rajan Roy,J.) Order Date :- 6.2.2025/Saurabh Digitally signed by :- SAURABH VERMA High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, Lucknow Bench