The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has officially lodged a chargesheet against three railway employees who were previously detained in connection with the tragic Balasore train accident, which resulted in the loss of nearly 290 lives and left several hundred injured. The accused individuals, identified as Arun Kumar Mahanta, Md Amir Khan, and Pappu Kumar, now face charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and destruction of evidence.
These railway employees were apprehended in July, approximately one month after a catastrophic collision involving multiple trains occurred in Odisha’s Balasore region, marking one of the deadliest train accidents in the history of the Indian Railways. The collision involved the Coromandel Express, the Yeshwantpur-Howrah Express, both travelling in opposite directions, and a stationary goods train at the Bahanaga Bazar railway station in Balasore.
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The CBI’s investigation alleges that Arun Kumar Mahanta, serving as a senior section engineer, conducted repair work at level crossing gate number 94 near Bahanaga Bazar station by utilizing the circuit diagram of LC gate no. 79. It was the responsibility of the accused individuals to ensure that testing, overhauling, and alterations to the existing signal and interlocking systems adhered to the approved plan and instructions, which they purportedly failed to do.
As a result, these railway employees have been charged under sections 304 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code in connection with their roles in the tragic train accident.
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