'CHANGE IN E-INTERLOCKING SYSTEM CAUSED CRASH'

RLY RECOMMENDS CBI PROBE; MAINLINE JUNCTION HAD DEVELOPED A SNAG BEFORE THE MISHAP; PERSONS RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCIDENT IDENTIFIED

- BIJOY KETAN PRADHAN & HEMANT KUMAR ROUT

IN a curious turn of events, the Indian Railway Board on Sunday evening recommended the Centre to hand over the Bahanaga Bazar train accident case to CBI for investigation.

The announcement came from Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who earlier in the day had said the root cause of the accident and the people responsible for it had been identified. “It happened due to a change made in the electronic interlocking and point machine,” he told reporters at the accident site in the morning.

However, in a hurriedly convened media conference at Rail Sadan, headquarters of the East Coast Railway in Bhubaneswar, after visiting survivors undergoing treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, Vaishnaw said the case needed further investigation. “Keeping in view the situation in which the accident took place and all the administrative information that has been received so far, this case is being considered for further investigation. Recommendation is being made by the Railway Board to hand the matter over to the CBI,” Vaishnaw said.