 "Odisha Train accident")
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), on Tuesday, has taken over the investigation into the Balasore train accident. The central agency has also filed a first information report (FIR) on the matter, according to officials, reported the news agency PTI.
A train accident occurred on Friday in Odisha's Balasore region in which three trains collided killing over 270 passengers and left over 1,000 injured.
According to reports, the investigating agency on Monday reached the accident site and was in the process of collecting the relevant documents and statements before beginning the investigation.
CBI officials took over the charge of the investigation after the Odisha police registered a case under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Railway Act for causing death by negligence.
Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday announced that a CBI probe in the triple train crash has been recommended.
CBI was roped in after a preliminary inquiry flagged tampering with the electronic interlocking system, which detects the presence of trains, and officials suspected "sabotage" behind the Friday accident. The agency, which has little expertise in dealing with the functioning of railways, might need the help of rail security and forensic experts to get to the bottom of the case, the report said citing officials.
According to the procedure, the CBI re-registers the local police case as its own FIR and starts the probe. It can add or remove a charge from the FIR in its charge sheet filed after its investigation.
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Both passenger trains were at high speed, and experts have cited it as one of the main reasons for the high number of casualties, the report added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with the Railway Minister visited the accident site in Balasore.
