Officials stated on Tuesday that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over the investigation into the railway catastrophe that occurred in Balasore and resulted in the deaths of 278 people.
A preliminary investigation revealed interference with the electronic interlocking system, which detects the presence of trains, and officials assumed “sabotage” was the cause of the accident that occurred on Friday.
As a result, the central investigation agency was sent in to investigate. According to the officials, because the agency has little experience in dealing with issues related to the operation of trains, it may require the assistance of rail security professionals as well as forensic investigators in order to get to the bottom of this mystery.
In accordance with the protocol, the central agency assumed responsibility for the First Information Report that had been filed on June 3 by the Balasore Government Railway Police under the Indian Penal Code sections 337, 338, 304A (causing death by negligence), and 34 (common intention), as well as the Railways Act sections 153 (unlawful and negligent action endangering the lives of Railway passengers), 154, and 175 (endangering lives).
In accordance with the protocol, the CBI is required to re-register the case with the local police as its own FIR before commencing the investigation. In the charge sheet that it files following its investigation, it has the ability to either add or delete a charge from the FIR.
Speaking to media on Sunday in Odisha, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated, “We have recommended a CBI probe into the triple train accident….”
It was approximately 7 o’clock in the evening on Friday when a collision between a freight train, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, and the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express took place close to the Bahanaga Bazar station in the Balasore district.
The catastrophe, which is considered to be one of the greatest railway disasters in the country, resulted in the deaths of 278 people and wounded more than 1,100 others.
Both passenger trains were traveling at a high speed, which has been noted by experts as one of the primary reasons for the large number of people who were killed or injured.
Congress Blasts Govt.
On Tuesday, Congress blasted the government for using the CBI inquiry into the Odisha railway disaster as news management to distract from its “failures”. At a news conference, Congress spokeswoman Supriya Shrinate stated no one has been held accountable for the disaster after 96 hours.
How is accountability and responsibility absent? Instead of investigating this tragic catastrophe that killed approximately 300 people, the government is spreading conspiracy theories. She warned reporters that safety is being replaced by conspiracy theories like purposeful meddling.
New ideas are being produced to “divert” attention from the Railway Minister’s moral obligation to resign. She claimed this government has no responsibility.
The Congress spokesperson said the Odisha train crash was caused by interlocking and signal failure and insufficient track maintenance, but the administration is trying to deflect blame.
Shrinate claimed the government hired the NIA to investigate the 2016 Kanpur railway disaster but found no evidence. She also stated the NIA has not filed the charge sheet for the Kuneru railway tragedy in Andhra Pradesh that killed approximately 40 persons.
Congress’s Domain:
“The underlying question is why premium agencies like the CBI and NIA should be brought into this when this is not their area of competence. Why shouldn’t CRS investigate this accident?
She inquired why the CRS can only investigate 8-10% of train incidents. “The Modi government is once again shifting the focus from its own failures, from failures of the Indian Railways, from its own government which has refused to prioritize the safety of citizens and has instead roped in agencies like the CBI,” the Congress leader added.
