The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday charged three railway employees with manslaughter not constituting murder and endangering the life of passengers for causing the collision of three trains at Bahanaga Bazar in Balasore district. On 2 June, 296 people were killed and 1,200 injured in Odisha.
The three railway officials named in the charge sheet filed by the Special Judiciary Court of Bhubaneswar (Odisha) are: Arun Kumar Mahanta, Senior Section Engineer (Signal), Balasore Mahanta, Mohammad Amir Khan, SSE (signal) Solo and technician Pappu Kumar said a CBI spokesman. On July 7, the agency learned that the main cause of the collision of the Coromandel Express, the Ashwantpur-Howrah Express and the Bahanagarbazar freight train in Odisha was a signal failure. All three officials were arrested on the 7th. The defendant remains in judicial custody.
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During the investigation, the CBI alleges that the defendants failed in their duty to ensure that tests, overhauls and changes to existing signaling and interlocks were carried out in accordance with approved plans and instructions.
“Based on evidence presented during the investigation of the case, guilty of offenses under s.304 (Part II) of the IPC (manslaughter not constituting murder), s.34 r/w 201 of the IPC (causing the disappearance of evidence of joint intent to commit a crime) A CBI spokesperson said charges under Section 153 of the Railways Act 1989 (Dangering the Safety of Persons Traveling by Railway by Willful Act or Omission) were lodged against the accused.
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The agency said it was conducting further investigations into a larger conspiracy that may have involved others.
The case was registered by the CBI on June 6 after the Ministry of Railways requested and the Odisha government agreed to investigate the train accident. The case had earlier been registered in Balasore by the railway company but was then handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation.
