CBI was roped in on June 6 amidst suspicion of deliberate sabotage after the Balasore train tragedy. On June 4, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recommended a probe by the central investigation agency. The train accident killed 292 and left over 1,000 injured.
Soon after a probe by CBI was announced in the triple train accident, the Congress Party slammed the government over the decision and criticised the move. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh called out the central government for ordering the CBI probe “even before the Commission of Railway Safety submitted its report”. He tweeted, “Even before the Commissioner of Railway Safety has submitted his report on Balasore train disaster, a CBI inquiry is announced.”
He continued his tirade against the CBI probe and mentioned the 2016 Kanpur rail accident that took away the lives of 150 people. National Investigation Agency (NIA) was roped in for that investigation, which is currently underway.
Even before the Commissioner of Railway Safety has submitted his report on Balasore train disaster, a CBI inquiry is announced. This is nothing but headlines management having failed to meet deadlines.
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) June 6, 2023
Ab yeh Chronology yaad kijiye 👇🏾
1. Nov 20, 2016: Indore-Patna Express…
He added, “Now remember this chronology – November 20, 2016, Indore-Patna Express derails near Kanpur. Over 150 people lose their lives. On January 23, 2017, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu wrote to Union Home Minister asking for an NIA probe into the accident. February 24, 2017, PM says the Kanpur train accident was a conspiracy. October 21, 2018 Newspapers report NIA will not file any chargesheet in the derailment. June 6, 2023, no official news on NIA’s final report on the Kanpur derailment. Zero accountability.”
Not to forget, a day before Jairam’s attack on the Union Government, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge had written to PM Modi that CBI was meant to investigate crimes, not railway accidents.
JE Amir Khan, suspect in the accident absconding with family, says media. Railways refutes reports
It was reported by the media that JE Amir Khan, a suspect in Odisha triple train tragedy that the CBI is investigating, had gone missing after the initial investigation. When a CBI team reached his house located near Annapurna Rice Mill in Soro, the house was locked. The CBI later sealed it. The June 2 triple train accident at Bahanaga took away the lives of 292 passengers and injured over a thousand.
The Railways officials, however, refuted the allegations and said that nobody had gone missing and all railways staff was cooperating with the investigation.
#WATCH | Balasore train accident | "A few media reports are coming in that a Bahanaga staff is absconding and missing. This is factually incorrect. The entire staff is present & a part of inquiry. They are appearing before agency," says Aditya Kumar Chaudhary, CPRO South Eastern… pic.twitter.com/Htc538cIFp
— ANI (@ANI) June 20, 2023
The CBI, however, is yet to clarify.
