CBI Files Fresh FIRs In Balasore Train Accident; Congress Takes 'Headline Management' Jibe

The Congress on Tuesday slammed the government over the CBI probe into the Odisha railway tragedy, and termed the move as headlines management to divert attention from its own "failures".

NEW DELHI: The CBI has taken over the investigation into the Balasore train accident which claimed 278 lives, after registering an FIR, officials said on Tuesday. The central probe agency was roped in after a preliminary inquiry flagged tampering with the electronic interlocking system, which detects the presence of trains, and officials suspected "sabotage" behind the Friday accident. The agency, which has little expertise in dealing with the functioning of railways, might need the help of rail security and forensic experts to get to the bottom of the case, the officials said.

Following the procedure, the central agency took over the FIR registered by the Balasore GRP on June 3 under IPC sections 337, 338, 304A (causing death by negligence) and 34 (common intention), and sections 153 (unlawful and negligent action endangering lives of Railway passengers ), 154 and 175 (endangering lives) of the Railways Act. According to the procedure, the CBI re-registers the local police case as its own FIR and starts the probe. It can add or remove a charge from the FIR in its charge sheet filed after its investigation.

Talking to reporters in Odisha on Sunday, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, "We have recommended a CBI probe into the triple train accident....". The crash involving Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and a goods train occurred around 7 PM on Friday near the Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore district. The accident, one of the worst train tragedies in the country, claimed 278 lives and left more than 1,100 people injured. Both passenger trains were at high speed, and experts have cited it as one of the main reasons for the high number of casualties.

Headlines Management: Congress Slams Govt

The Congress on Tuesday slammed the government over the CBI probe into the Odisha railway tragedy, and termed the move as headlines management to divert attention from its own "failures". At a press conference, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said it has been over 96 hours since the accident took place but no accountability has been fixed. "How is it that there is no accountability, no responsibility. Instead of finding out what caused this grave accident in which almost 300 people died, the government is now spinning conspiracy theories. It is shifting focus from safety to all kinds of conspiracy theories like deliberate interference," she told reporters.

At a time when the Railway Minister should resign by taking moral responsibility, new theories are being created to "divert" attention. There is not even an 'A' of accountability of this government, she asserted. The Congress spokesperson claimed that the Odisha train occurred due to interlocking and signal failure and also due to low track maintenance but the government is trying to divert attention. Shrinate said the government had roped in the NIA to probe the 2016 Kanpur train accident as well but not a single proof was found by it. The NIA has also not been able to file the charge sheet in the train accident in Kuneru in Andhra Pradesh in which almost 40 people died, she said.

Not CBI's Area Of Expertise: Congress

"The very basic question is why should premium agencies like the CBI and NIA be roped into this because this is not their area of expertise. Why should the CRS not probe this accident. Why is the CRS being restricted to probe only 8-10 percent rail accidents that have happened," she asked. "The Modi government is once again shifting the focus from its own failures, from failures of the Indian Railways, from its own government which has refused to prioritise safety of citizens and has instead roped in agencies like the CBI," the Congress leader said.