Odisha Train tragedy: CBI summons Station Master for questioning

In a major development in the ongoing enquiry into the Bahanaga train accident that had left 293 passengers dead, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) summoned the Station Master of Bahanaga Bazar railway station for questioning on Sunday.

As per reports, the Station Master has been summoned to appear at the CBI office in Bhubaneswar.

It is pertinent to mention here that three other railway staff have already been arrested under IPC sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 201 (destruction of evidence) by the central probe agency.

The arrested trio is; Senior Section Engineer (signal) Arun Kumar Mahanta, Section Engineer Mohammed Amir Khan, and Technician Pappu Kumar. They were all posted in Balasore.

After apprehending the trio, the CBI produced the accused before the court and sought seven-day remand for questioning.

However, the Special Court in Bhubaneswar granted five days of remand to CBI.

Earlier this week, the inquiry report of the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), South Eastern Circle stated that the deadly train mishap at Bahanaga station in Odisha’s Balasore had occurred due to lapses in the signaling circuit alteration carried out at the North Signal Goomty (of the station) in the past.