Odisha Train Tragedy: CBI FIR Provides Maximum 5-Year Jail Term For Guilty

Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating that the guilty in the Odisha train tragedy will be "severely punished", it now looks like people responsible for the accident will get a maximum punishment of five years in jail.

The CBI has filed the FIR under sections 337, 338, 304A, and 34 of the IPC and sections 153, 154, and 175 of the Railway Act, according to a report in IANS.

Of all the sections, only Section 153 of the Railway Act provides a maximum sentence of five years. The rest other sections have provisions for two years or less of punishment, the report said.

The Odisha Police had initially filed the FIR, but the case has now been taken over by the central agency. "On June 2, at 6.55 p.m. due to collision between Train No-12841 Howrah-Channel Coromandal Express and Train No-12864 Yesbantapur-Howrah Express, the Buggies of both trains capsized causing death to more then hundred and injuries to several hundreds of passengers. The dead body and injuries person shifted to DHH Balasore, DHH Bhadrak, CHC Soro and other Hospital rescue operation continuing. On this report as its reveals a cognizable case, an FIR under sections 337, 338, 304A and 34 of IPC and 153, 154, 175 of Railway Act is being filed," read the FIR.

The crash involving Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express and Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and a goods train occurred near the Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore at around 7 pm on Friday. As many as 17 coaches of these two passenger trains were derailed and severely damaged in the deadly accident. In the tragedy, 288 people lost their lives while over 1,000 people are injured.

Notably, around 40 bodies recovered from the Coromandel Express involved in the triple train crash had no visible injury marks and are believed to have died of electrocution, the Government Railway Police told the PTI.

The FIR filed at the Government Railway Police station claims that live overhead wires which snapped when the accident occurred, entangled with a few coaches, electrocuting the passengers trapped in them. "Many passengers succumbed to injuries caused due to the collision and electrocution (after) coming in contact with overhead LT (low tension) line," Sub-inspector of Police, P Kumar Nayak in his FIR said.