Balasore train deaths: CBI files charges against 3 Rlys staffers, says probe on ‘larger’ plot still on

A CBI officer said investigation on the aspect of the “larger conspiracy” is on, and the probe will also look at “possible involvement of others”.

The chargesheet names senior section engineer in-charge (signal) Arun Kumar Mahanta, senior section engineer (signal) Amir Khan, and technician Pappu Kumar Yadav.

“Based on evidence adduced during investigation, commission of offences under IPC sections 304-II (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 34 r/w 201 of IPC (causing disappearance of evidence, or giving false information to screen offender) and section 153 of Railways Act (endangering safety of persons travelling by railway by wilful act or omission) were made out against the accused,” CBI said in a statement. “Accordingly, a charge-sheet has been filed against them in the court of the Special Judicial Magistrate, Bhubaneswar (Odisha).”

A CBI official said they have found sufficient evidence to substantiate the charges against the three.

The agency had earlier registered an FIR under IPC sections 304A (criminal negligence resulting in death), 337 (endangering life by negligent act), 338 (causing grievous hurt), and 34 (common intention), and sections 153 (unlawful and negligent action endangering lives of passengers), 154 and 175 (endangering lives) of Railways Act, based on an initial FIR registered by the Government Railway Police at Balasore police station. The probe agency later invoked section 304, the punishment under which is up to 10 years, after finding evidence against the three. The maximum punishment under IPC section 304A is two years.

During its probe, a CBI source said, the team found that the accused had direct responsibility of efficient upkeep of signal and telecommunication assets of Bahanaga Bazar railway station, where the accident occurred. “They also checked the panel room of the station, which displayed the signalling system, and spoke with officials in the record room,” the source said.

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As part of the probe, CBI officers collected documents and physical and digital logs from the Railways.

A parallel probe by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) held staff at “multiple levels” of the signalling department responsible. It said three signalling staff who were arrested earlier were at Bahanaga Bazar station on the day concerned, carrying out replacement of an electric lifting barrier (boom barrier) at level crossing number 94. The report said faulty labelling of wires at the location box caused signalling error — as a result, Coromandel Express entered a loop line before ramming into a stationary goods train.

Mahanta was that day supervising the team carrying out replacement work at the level-crossing, while Khan was leading the team of technicians involved in the job, CRS reported. Yadav was part of the team carrying out the job on the ground, involving rewiring the location box at the level-crossing.

“After the accident, A K Mahanta, who was at the accident site, came to know from the Test-Room that the indication of the Crossover 17A/B was still showing Normal even when the point machines of 17A and 17B, at the site, were completely damaged,” the CRS report said. It stated that Mahanta then asked the team to check any mistake in the wiring of the level crossing.

At the level-crossing, Yadav, in the presence of Mahanta and Khan, discovered the wiring mistake, according to the CRS.

“Then he (Yadav) noticed that on the cable side, no cable-core was connected; instead, 16 strand flexible wires were connected,” the CRS probe found. “He found that these wires, not visible from the front side, were drawn from back-side [rear] of the rack, and traced the other ends of the flexible wires which were left disconnected from terminals F23 & F24 during the barrier wiring work.”