A statutory inquiry into the Tamil Nadu train accident will be conducted by the Commissioner of Railway Safety, with the investigation set to begin on October 16 and 17 in Chennai, authorities announced on Sunday. The incident involved the Mysuru-Darbhanga Bagmati Express colliding with a stationary goods train at Kavaraipettai, raising serious concerns about potential operational failures and possible sabotage.
The statutory inquiry will be led by AM Chowdhary, the Commissioner of Railway Safety for the Southern Circle, based in Bengaluru. According to an official release from the Railways, the inquiry will allow any member of the public with information or evidence related to the accident to provide testimony to aid the investigation.
In parallel, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is also conducting a probe into the possibility of sabotage being the cause of the mishap. NIA sources have confirmed that a preliminary site inspection has been completed, though they have refrained from commenting on reports suggesting that unfastened bolts and nuts were found at the accident site, which raised alarms about tampering with the operational mechanism.
Concerns about sabotage were heightened when a three-member technical team, comprising senior officials from the Signal & Telecom, Engineering, and Operations departments, inspected the site. The team expressed apprehensions regarding potential sabotage after examining the scene of the accident at Kavaraipettai Railway Station.
Adding to the suspicions, the government railway police have registered a case and are investigating a separate incident of reported tampering with the operational systems at Ponneri, which is near the site of the recent accident. This tampering, which took place last month, is being examined to determine whether it could be linked to the current incident.
Meanwhile, Southern Railway has confirmed that EMU (Electric Multiple Unit) train services in the Chennai Central-Gummidipoondi section are now operational up to Gummidipoondi Railway Station, despite the recent mishap. Restoration efforts are underway to normalize train services in the affected region.
As investigations continue, the safety of railway operations has become a key concern, with authorities working to uncover whether negligence or deliberate actions were behind the tragic accident. The outcome of the statutory inquiry and the NIA’s findings will likely provide critical insights into preventing such incidents in the future.
(With agency inputs)