Odisha train tragedy: 7 railway staff suspended over ‘involvement and negligence’

The Indian Railways have suspended seven railway officials over their “involvement and negligence” in the Balasore train tragedy in Odisha that left 293 dead and over 900 injured, officials familiar with the development said.

South-Eastern Railway general manager Anil Kumar Mishra who visited Bahanaga Bazar and Balasore railway stations on Wednesday, said the seven employees, including the three who were arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), have been suspended for “not being alert during duty hours”.

The CBI on Friday arrested three railway officials for “their act (s)” which led to the June 2 train accident in Odisha’s Balasore district, according to the officials.

“Principal chief safety officer suspended the seven for dereliction of duty after the CBI probe team arrested three of them. The step was taken over the lack of alertness of the Bahanaga Bazaar station master, traffic inspector and maintainer. The tragic train mishap could have been averted had they been alert during duty hours,” he said.

So far, the Railways have transferred five senior officials, including the general manager of South Eastern Railways Archana Joshi, principal chief signal & telecommunication engineer PM Sikdar, principal chief safety officer Chandan Adhikary, principal chief commercial manager Mohammed Owais and Mohammed Sujath Hashmi, divisional railway manager of Kharagpur Division, under which Bahanaga Bazaar railway stations falls. Atulya Misra, additional general manager of South Eastern Railways has also been shifted out.

Anil Mishra further said that the Bahanaga Bazar railway station would be completely revamped and modernised as it is more than 20 years old. From the relay room to the signalling point, everything will be upgraded in another six months, he added.

Meanwhile, the three accused– senior Section Engineer (signal) Arun Kumar Mahanta, Section Engineer Mohammed Amir Khan, and Technician Pappu Kumar– have been taken on another four-day remand by the CBI. On July 7, the CBI arrested Mohanta, Khan and Kumar under sections 304 and 201 of the IPC and Section 153 of the Railways Act, 1989.

The agency on Monday had summoned two more railway employees and interrogated them in connection with the train tragedy at Bahanaga.

The inquiry report of the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), South Eastern Circle, has stated that the deadly train mishap at Bahanaga station occurred due to lapses in the signalling circuit alteration carried out at the North Signal Goomty (of the station) in the past.

The CRS which submitted its report earlier this month to the railway board has also pointed out human error as the cause of the accident.

Odisha’s Balasore saw one of the deadliest train accidents in India in the last three decades, in which at least 293 people have been so far been killed with over 1,100 injured.

The fatal triple-train accident took place on June 2 involving the Coromandel Express, Yeshwantpur-Howrah Express and iron ore-laden goods. The three trains collided near the Bahanaga Bazar railway station in Odisha’s Balasore district.