The CBI has arrested senior Section Engineer Arun Kumar Mohanta, Section Engineer Mohammad Amir Khan, and Technician Pappu Kumarin in the Balasore train accident case. Reports state they are charged with IPC sections 304 and 201. The Indian judiciary system will try them for culpable homicide and willful destruction of evidence.
However, they do not stand accused of murder or willful intent to manslaughter. Their indictment is for being responsible for actions that led to the accident. Moreover, reports state they were aware that their actions may cause death or damage.
Triple Train Tragedy InvestigationsÂ
#WATCH | Bhubaneswar: Three Railways officials arrested in connection with the Balasore train accident- Senior Section Engineer Arun Kumar Mohanta, Section Engineer Mohammad Amir Khan and Technician Pappu Kumar have been sent to CBI custody for 5 days. pic.twitter.com/W2FoF0SfBf
— ANI (@ANI) July 7, 2023
Last week the Commissioner of Railway Safety investigations concluded that the Signaling and Telecommunication department was gravely responsible for the triple train collision. The reports of the investigations state several errors resulted in the incorrect ‘Green’ signal for the incoming Coromandel Express. Thus, the Coromandel Express collided with the rear of a stationary goods train. The faulty ‘Green’ signaling was due to a human error. The report further stated that the officials did not report or correct the incorrect wire labeling at the level-crossing position box for many years.
Moreover, the report concluded that the collision could be avoided if the prior warning signs were duly investigated by railway officials.
Better Late Than Never
The Railway Safety report has asked for a national-level update of wiring diagrams and maintenance instructions to avoid a similar incident. It has also recommended that workshops be held to refresh the knowledge of signaling systems at all required levels. The railways are said to be issuing precautionary warnings to all its employees to follow due protocol to avoid a similar tragedy in the future.
The investigation reports and CBI arrests highlight the severe negligence of security protocols and maintenance guidelines in the Indian Railways. They also underline the lackadaisical attitude of inspecting authorities in government jobs. Thus, India’s worst train collision in 20 years, which claimed the lives of 290 people, could have been avoided if all employees did their jobs well. The Coromandel Express, Bengaluru-Hawarah Superfast Express, and the stationary goods train collision would not have transpired if the railway employees were doing their jobs rather than ‘jugaad’.