Odisha Mishap: CBI Seizes Railway Staff’s Phones
A 10-member CBI team along with some members of the Central Forensic Laboratory reached the spot. (DIBYANGSHU SARKAR)
BHUBANESWAR: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday seized the mobile phones of some railway staff members who were on duty at Bahanaga Bazar railway station on June 2 evening when the triple train crash took place, leaving 288 passengers killed and over 900 others injured.
According to sources, the central probe agency will examine the call detail records (CDRs), WhatsApp calls and social media usage of the staff during its investigation.
Besides, it is also likely to question the loco pilot who is undergoing treatment at a Bhubaneswar hospital, sources informed.
The probing agency along with forensic and technical teams visited Bahanaga Bazar railway station on Wednesday and inspected the premises for 45 minutes.
The CBI, which has been entrusted with the probe of the tragic mishap by the Railway Board, started its investigation on Tuesday.
A 10-member CBI team along with some members of the Central Forensic Laboratory reached the spot and visited the main line and loop line to carry out the investigation.
Some members of the team also visited the signal room and held discussions with the officials.
The CBI probe was ordered amid suspicion of sabotage and conspiracy.
According to Odisha chief secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena, 288 people were killed in the triple train accident involving Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express and Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, which were carrying over 2,500 passengers, and a goods train laden with iron on Friday evening at Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore.
As many as 21 passenger coaches were derailed and severely damaged in the accident, trapping hundreds of passengers. The Odisha government is providing free transportation for patients who are getting discharged from the hospital to their home states.
On Wednesday, the state government moved all the bodies of the accident victims from different mortuaries to the morgue of All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Bhubaneswar. The state government appealed to family members of the deceased to come to Bhubaneswar to receive the bodies. The government did not share fresh inputs on the number of deceased identified so far and bodies of the deceased dispatched to their native places.
