Odisha Train Accident: CBI Arrests 3 Railways Officials For Balasore Tragedy

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested three railways officials in connection with the Odisha triple train crash that killed over 290 people.

The agency arrested Senior Section Engineer (signal) Arun Kumar Mahanta, Section Engineer Mohammed Amir Khan and Technician Pappu Kumar, all posted in Balasore district, the officials said.

The three have been arrested under IPC sections 304 and 201, they said.

Section 304 of the IPC deals with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, while section 201 deals with causing disappearance of evidence of offence.

The CBI said that the three officials were responsible for the maintenance of the railway tracks in the area where the crash took place. They are alleged to have failed to take necessary steps to prevent the derailment of the trains.

The crash took place on May 29, 2023, when three trains collided near the Balasore railway station in Odisha. Due to the high speed of the Coromandel Express, its 21 coaches derailed and three of those collided with the oncoming SMVT Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express on the adjacent track.

The crash was the deadliest train accident in India in over a decade. The CBI has been investigating the crash since it happened.