Signs of 'deliberate interference' in electronic interlocking system led to CBI probe recommendation
Darpan News Desk IANS, 05 Jun, 2023 09:53 AM
New Delhi, June 5 (IANS) Under fire from the Opposition, including the Congress, for recommending a CBI probe into the Balasore train accident that led to the death of 275 passengers, government sources on Monday indicated that it was a case of "deliberate interference" in the system that came to the fore during the preliminary investigation, thus necessitating an investigation by a professional agency.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had on Sunday said that the Railway Board has recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into Friday's horrifying accident which left 275 people dead and over 800 injured.
He also said that the accident happened due to a change in electronic interlocking.
A government source on Monday here said that the need for a CBI probe even when the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) was already probing the incident, as the officials who were part of the preliminary investigation indicated the need for a more thorough investigation by a professional agency having expertise.
"Lots of information has come during the course of the investigation. Various kinds of information has been made available which required a professional investigative agency," the source said.
The accident in which a speeding Coromandel Express crashed into a stationary goods train on the loop line instead of travelling on the main line, indicated issues with the electronic interlocking system which changed the route of the train leading to the collision.
The source said, "Unless there is deliberate interference in the system, it is impossible that a route set for the main line is switched to the loop line."
The ministry had earlier ruled out driver error or a malfunction in the interlocking system, and said that all angles are being probed extensively to come to the exact conclusion how this happened.
The Congress has been demanding the resignation of Vaishnaw for the horrific train accident near Odisha's Bahanaga Bazar station, where 21 coaches of Chennai-bound Coromandel Express and Howrah-bound SMVP-Howrah Superfast Express derailed and led to death of 275 people and leaving over 800 injured.
Accordingly, the police registered a case under sections 302 (murder), 307 (atttempt to murder) and 34 (common intention) at the Adarsh Nagar police station and during investigation, it was revealed that deceased had a quarrel with the five accused classmates in their school, due to which they murdered him to take revenge, while they were going home.
Moving a resolution to this regard, Mann said that the main function of the Punjab State Vigilance Commission is to enquire or cause enquires into complaints alleging commission of offences by a public servant under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988, Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.
In spite of the pressure and demand to step down, the accused seer has categorically refused to quit, according to sources. The meeting was held in the leadership of former minister H Ekantaiah in this regard and discussed future course of action.
According to information, the deceased used to beat the juveniles and would often snatch their money to buy alcohol and drugs. The juveniles had been planning to take revenge for this. A senior police official said that the deceased was identified as Ajay, a resident of Labor Colony in Outer Delhi. The official said that the juveniles stabbed him repeatedly and fled from the crime scene.
The murder of Brar, who was a close relative of Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar, has triggered an inter-gang rivalry between the Davinder Bambiha gang and the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, leading to a spate of murders in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and the National Capital Region (NCR) Delhi. Brar was shot dead outside a nightclub in Chandigarh in October 2020.
It was alleged that the accused illegally collected public deposits throughout Odisha by alluring the people with various deposit schemes falsely promising high returns and did not refund the maturity amount and thereby cheated the investors of their due amount.
