Odisha train accident: CBI charge sheet against 3 rail officials for culpable homicide, destruction of evidence

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‘Accused were responsible for upkeep’

In its charge sheet filed before a special judicial magistrate in Bhubaneswar, the CBI mentioned that based on evidence adduced during the investigation, commission of offence under Section 304 part II (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and Section 34 read with 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence with common intention) of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 153 of the Railways Act (endangering safety of railways passenger by willful act of omission) were made out against the accused, the agency’s spokesperson said in a statement.

The CBI alleged that the accused were direct responsible for efficient upkeep of signal and telecommunication assets at Bahanaga Bazar Railway Station, where the tragedy took place.

It also alleged that the repair work at level crossing (LC) gate 94 near Bahanaga Bazar Railway Station was done under Mahanta’s direct supervision, using the circuit diagram of LC gate 79.

The typical circuit diagram of LC gate 79 was being used at the time of execution of wiring work being done at North Goomty (hut) of Bahanaga Bazar Railway Station, in order to change the operation of LC gate 94 from 110V AC to 24V DC, the agency further alleged.

The duty of the accused was to ensure that testing, overhauling, and carrying out alterations to the existing signal and interlocking installations were in accordance with the approved plan and instructions, which they did not do, it stated.

The central probe agency had taken over the investigation from the Odisha Police.

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Lapses at multiple levels, reveals inquiry

A high-level railway inquiry had revealed “wrong signalling” to be the main reason for the accident and flagged “lapses at multiple levels” in the Signal and Telecommunication Department. It further indicated that the tragedy could have been averted if past red flags had been reported.

The independent inquiry report submitted by the Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) to the Railway Board said that notwithstanding the lapses in signalling work, remedial actions could have been taken by the Signal and Telecommunication staff if “repeated unusual behaviour” of switches connecting two parallel tracks were reported to them by the station manager of Bahanaga Bazar Railway Station.

The report also suggested that the non-supply of a station-specific approved circuit diagram for the works to replace the electric lifting barrier at LC gate 94 at the Bahanaga Bazar Railway Station was a “wrong step that led to wrong wiring”.

It added that a team of field supervisors modified the wiring diagram and failed to replicate it.

The report also said that there was a similar incident on 16 May 2022 at Bankra Nayabaz Railway Station in the Kharagpur Division of the South Eastern Railway, on account of wrong wiring and cable fault.

“Had corrective measures been taken after this incident to address the issue of wrong wiring, the accident at BNBR (Bahanaga Bazar Railway Station) would not have taken place,” it added.

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