Key Takeaways
- The train crash in Balasore resulted in over 290 fatalities.
- CBI arrested three railway officials—Arun Kumar Mohanta, Mohammad Amir Khan, and Pappu Kumar—for negligence.
- Investigators cited lapses in the Signal and Telecommunication Department as a primary cause.
On Friday, July 7, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), arrested three railway employees, in relation with the Balasore triple-train accident, involving the Coromandel Express, the Howrah-Yashwantpur Express, and a goods train. The accident had taken place in the evening of June 2, and more than 290 passengers lost their lives in the same. After a preliminary report was prepared in the case, the Railway Board had given the case to be investigated by the CBI.
Senior Section Engineer, Arun Kumar Mohanta, Section Engineer Mohammad Amir Khan, and Technician Pappu Kumar have been arrested under sections 304 and 201 of the CrPC, which pertain to destruction of evidence and culpable homicide.
Investigation into the train crash confirmed that errors and negligence by the Signal and Telecommunication Department staff led to the tragedy.
AM Chowdhary, Commissioner of Railway Safety, South Eastern Zone, said, “Lapses at multiple levels in the S&T Department were responsible for this accident. Some of these lapses included wrong labelling of wires”.
