Indian Railway Union Supports Bail Decision for Accused in Balasore Train Accident

The Orissa High Court's decision to grant bail to three individuals involved in the Balasore train accident was welcomed by the Indian Railway S&T Maintainers Union. This tragic incident in June 2023 resulted in nearly 300 fatalities and over 1,200 injuries. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had arrested these men for their alleged roles in the disaster.

A single-judge bench, led by Justice Aditya Kumar Mohapatra, granted conditional bail to the accused. They are required to provide a bail bond of Rs 50,000 each and two local solvent sureties of the same amount. Additionally, they must not be posted or assigned to their previous division where the accident occurred.

Legal Formalities and Bail Conditions

Kedar Nath Tripathy, representing one of the accused, expressed concerns about delays due to legal procedures. "The certified copies of the orders need submission to the CBI court for release orders," he stated. He anticipated that this process might extend beyond Diwali.

The CBI apprehended Mohammad Amir Khan, Arun Kumar Mahanta, and Pappu Yadav on July 7, 2023. They were charged with causing passenger deaths and tampering with evidence. Mahanta and Yadav held positions as senior section engineer in-charge and technician in Balasore, while Khan was a senior section engineer at Solo near Balasore.

Union's Plea for Swift Release

Alok Chandra Prakash, general secretary of the union, expressed hope for a quick release before Diwali. "I plead to the high court and the CBI court to complete the legal formalities as soon as possible so that the three accused can be released on bail before Diwali so that they can celebrate with their respective families," he said.

The Commission of Railway Safety attributed the accident to human error. A collision involving two express trains and a stationary goods train near Bahanaga Bazar station led to this tragedy on June 2, 2023.

Investigation Findings and Recommendations

The CBI noted Mahanta's involvement in an initial investigation where he denied signalling failures. A high-level railway inquiry identified wrong signalling as a primary cause and highlighted lapses at various levels within the S&T department.

An independent report by the Commission of Railway Safety suggested that past incidents could have been avoided if red flags were reported. It also mentioned that non-supply of approved circuit diagrams contributed to wrong wiring at Bahanaga Bazar station.

The report highlighted a similar incident on May 16, 2022, at Bankranayabaz station due to incorrect wiring and cable faults. It concluded that addressing these issues earlier could have prevented the Balasore accident.