By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: The three Railway personnel including Senior Sectional Engineer Arun Kumar Mohanta, Section Engineer Mohammad Amir Khan and Technician Pappu Kumar, arrested in connection with the Bahanaga train accident in Balasore were brought to the Bhubaneswar CBI office late on Friday evening. CBI has arrested them under section 304 and 201 CrPC in connection with Odisha’s Balasore Bahanaga railway accident that killed about 294 passengers and injured over 1500.
After a brief stay at the Bhubaneswar CBI office, the three arrested persons were taken to Capital Hospital here amid strong security for medical check-up. According to reports, the accused Railway personnel were produced before the Bhubaneswar Special CBI Court after the medical check-up. The CBI in its investigation found that the accused railway employees “were also involved in the tampering of evidence.”
In a press release, the CBI said that they have today arrested then Arun Kumar Mahanta SSE(Signal), Balasore, Md Amir Khan then SSE(Signal), Soro and Pappu Kumar then Technician, Balasore in an ongoing investigation of a case related to train mishap at Bahanaga Bazar Railway Station, Balasore( Odisha) U/s 304 & 201 of IPC and Section 153 of Railways Act, 1989.
CBI had registered the instant case on 06.06.2023 following the request of the Ministry of Railways, consent of the Odisha Government and further orders from DoPT(Govt. of India) relating to the train mishap involving Coromandel Express, Yashwantpur-Howrah Express and a Goods train at Bahanaga Bazar in the State of Odisha on 2nd June, 2023. The case was earlier registered at Balasore GRPS, District Cuttack (Odisha) vide GRPS Case No.64 dated 03.06.2023 regarding the said mishap, the CBI press note read.
