CBI Takes Action: Three Held Accountable for Odisha Train Disaster

In a major breakthrough, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), India's premier investigating agency, has apprehended three individuals allegedly responsible for the tragic train accidents in Odisha. The accidents resulted in the loss of 293 lives and left over 1,000 people injured. The arrested individuals have been identified as senior section engineer Arun Kumar Mohanta, section engineer Mohammad Amir Khan, and technician Pappu Kumar.

The CBI's investigation indicates that these railway officials were well aware of the potential consequences of their actions, which ultimately led to the devastating tragedy. They have been charged under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Section 304, which pertains to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and Section 201, which relates to causing the disappearance of evidence or providing false information to shield an offender.

The Commission of Railway Safety (CRS), entrusted with probing the incident, recently released its findings, revealing that human error in the railway signalling system was a key factor in one of the deadliest railway crashes in India's history. The committee's report outlined that the train accident occurred due to faulty connections made by workers during repairs on the railroad barrier, resulting in errors within the automated signalling system. It also highlighted "lapses at multiple levels" that contributed to the tragic loss of at least 293 lives and the injury of over 1,000 individuals.

The report further revealed that the incorrect labeling of wires in the level-crossing location box remained undetected for years, leading to confusion during maintenance work. It emphasized that the accident could have been averted if the red flags raised by these issues had not been ignored. The Signal and Telecommunication (S&T) department of Indian Railways was identified as primarily responsible for the incident.

Moreover, the CRS report attributed partial responsibility to the station master within the operations department for failing to detect the "abnormal behavior" of the automated signalling system. The investigators also highlighted that the initial collision, which triggered a series of subsequent collisions on June 2, was caused by recent repair work on the signalling circuit intended to address recurring problems in a nearby railroad.

The report also exposed negligence on the part of certain ground officials who did not adhere to adequate safety protocols, particularly following design modifications made three years ago due to safety concerns. It stressed that regardless of the deficiencies in the signalling system, the S&T department should have identified the "repeated unusual behavior" of switches connecting parallel tracks if such issues had been reported by the station manager at Bahanaga Bazar, the accident site.

This remains a developing story, and further updates will be provided as they emerge.