Odisha train mishap: CBI may soon grill more railway officials

Bhubaneswar: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), probing Balasore train mishap in Odisha on June 2, may soon interrogate a few more railway officials in connection with the accident.

The CBI sleuths are now grilling three railway officials who were arrested in connection with the mishap a few days ago.

Senior Section Engineer (signal) at Balasore Arun Kumar Mahanta, Senior Section Engineer (signal) at Soro Muhammad Amir Khan and Technician at Balasore Pappu Kumar were earlier arrested by the CBI in connection with the accident.

The three officials were arrested under Sections 304 and 201 of the IPC and Section 153 of the Railways Act on July 7. A special court had allowed the CBI to take arrested officials on remand for five days for further investigation into the case.

“The arrested officials are now being interrogated at Chandaka police station. A few SP and DIG-rank officials are grilling the arrested railway officials,” said a source.

It is learnt that the CBI may soon interrogate a few more railway officials, including the Station Master of Bahanaga Bazar railway station, in connection with the train accident.

“The CBI has already summoned a few more railway officials for interrogation. A few more people are likely to be arrested by the CBI in connection with the mishap,” added the source.

Notably, as many as 294 passengers were killed and 1,200 others left injured in the mishap involving Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express, a stationary goods train and Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express near Bahanaga Bazar railway station in Balasore on June 2.

The CBI took over the investigation from Government Railway Police (GRP) soon after the Railway Board sent a recommendation in this regard to the Centre.

The CBI sleuths have visited the spot several times and seized the mobile phones of some railway employees as part of its investigation into the case.