Following the end of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) remand, a special court in Bhubaneshwar sent three accused in Odisha’s Balasore train incident to judicial custody. The case will be next heard on July 27, reported PTI.
The three accused – Senior Section Engineer (Signal) Arun Kumar Mahanta, Section Engineer Mohammed Amir Khan and Technician Pappu Kumar – who were arrested by the CBI on July 7, were produced before the CBI Special Court on Friday, after their remand period ended.
The agency said that the accused, after the incident had attempted to destroy evidence to evade detection of their role, reported The Hindu.
The Commission of Railway Safety conducted the inquiry and noted in its report that the rear collision had happened due to certain “lapses in the signalling-circuit-alteration” at a north signal cabin of the Bahanaga Bazaar railway station.
The special court had earlier granted five-day remand of the accused to the CBI, which is investigating the case, on July 7. Later, on the request of the agency, the court had extended the remand period for four more days.
They were booked under IPC Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 201 (destruction of evidence), and under Section 153 of the Railways Act.
Although the central probe agency CBI, which is invetsigating the case, is yet to submit its report, the inquiry report of the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), South Eastern Circle, has stated that the accident took place due to “lapses” in the signalling circuit alteration.
In one of the deadliest rail crashes in India’s history, on June 2, at least 293 people were killed and over 1,200 injured when the Coromandel Express crashed into a stationary freight train at Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore district of Odisha, and some of its derailed coaches collided with Yeshwantpur-Howrah Express.
