CBI registers case related to Odisha train accident

New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case related to the ghastly rail accident involving two superfast trains and a goods train in Odisha's Bahanaga Bazar last week.

A CBI official said the case was registered at the request of the Ministry of Railways, with consent of the Odisha government and after further orders from DoPT.

CBI has taken over the investigation of the case earlier registered at Balasore GRPS, Odisha's Cuttack district vide GRPS Case No.64, June 3, regarding the said accident, the central probe agency said.

A ten-member CBI team arrived at Bahanaga station on Tuesday and started the investigation into the horrifying train tragedy which has so far claimed 288 lives and left over 1,000 injured.

The Railway Board had recommended the CBI inquiry.

The CBI team accompanied by some Central Forensic members reached the spot at Bahanaga station, visited the control room and signal room at the station and held discussion with the railway officials there.

The sleuths refused to divulge the details of the investigation process to the waiting newspersons.

On Monday Commissioner of Railway Safety (South Eastern Circle) Sailesh Pathak also conducted a statutory inquiry into the tragedy

Pathak reached Bahanaga Bazar station and visited the accident site. He then went to the control room and signal room of the station and discussed with the officials.

The accident occurred when Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express collided with a goods train and also with the Yashwanthpur-Howrah Express near Bahanaga in Balasore district on Friday evening.

After the accident, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had visited the accident site and reviewed the situation.

Vaishnaw earlier said a detailed inquiry would be conducted to go into the root cause of the accident, adding the government would ensure that no such incident occurs in future. (UNI)