Balasore train accident: Odisha GRP say ‘death by negligence’ in FIR

FIR states that the ‘culpability of specific railway employees has not been ascertained’

| Updated: 05 June, 2023 7:33 pm IST
The Odisha train accident occurred on June 2

NEW DELHI: The Odisha Government Railway Police (GRP) have initiated legal proceedings in the Balasore train accident case, filing a First Information Report (FIR) with charges of “causing death by negligence and endangering life.” The tragic incident resulted in the loss of 275 lives.

The investigation will soon be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which will delve into the specifics of the railway employees’ culpability.

According to the FIR, the current stage of the investigation has not yet determined the liability of individual railway employees, but this aspect will be thoroughly explored during the course of the inquiry.

Copy of the FIR filed by GRP

 

“At present, the culpability of specific railway employees has not been ascertained, which will be unearthed during the investigation,” the FIR, a copy of which is available with The New Indian, stated.

In response to the incident, the Indian Railways has requested a CBI inquiry and has also raised concerns about the potential tampering of the electronic interlocking system, which is responsible for detecting the presence of trains.

ALSO READ: Warning ignored? Serious signalling system flaws exposed months before Odisha train tragedy

It was revealed that the “Kavach” automatic train protection system, developed domestically, was not installed on the route where the accident occurred. However, railway officials noted that even if the system had been in place, it might not have been able to prevent such a catastrophic event.

Sources within the CBI have indicated that a team will be dispatched to the accident site to commence investigations, taking over from the Railway Police in Cuttack. The CBI plans to collaborate with the Commission of Railway Safety to aid in their comprehensive examination of the incident.

ALSO READ: Coromandel Express wrongly entered goods train track: Report

The official death count from the three-train collision has been revised to 275 from the initially reported 288, as the Odisha government identified cases of double-counting among the victims. However, the local administration is currently facing challenges in managing the 187 bodies that remain unidentified, as they need to be preserved until they can be claimed by the families of the deceased.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: 

Also Read Story

Omar Abdullah poised to become J&K’s first CM post-UT status

BJP dominates Jammu with historic win as Congress faces collapse

BJP celebrates historic third term in Haryana

BJP set for historic third term in Haryana with Saini at helm