Balasore train accident: 3 accused railway officials sent to judicial custody
Bhubaneswar (PTI): A special court here has sent the three accused railway officials in the Balasore train disaster to judicial custody, after the end of their CBI remand period.
Senior Section Engineer (Signal) Arun Kumar Mahanta, Section Engineer Mohammed Amir Khan and Technician Pappu Kumar, who have been placed under suspension by the Railways, were produced before the CBI Special Court on Friday after their remand period ended.
The accused were arrested by the CBI on July 7.
The special court had granted five-day remand of the accused to the CBI, which is investigating the case, on July 7. Later, on July 11, the court had extended the remand period for four more days at the request of the investigating agency.
The next date of hearing is on July 27.
The three accused have been booked under IPC Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 201 (destruction of evidence), and under Section 153 of the Railways Act.
While the CBI is yet to submit its report on the case, the inquiry report of the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), South Eastern Circle, has stated that the accident took place due to "lapses" in the signalling circuit alteration.
As many as 293 people were killed and over 1,200 injured when the Coromandel Express crashed into a stationary freight train at Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore district, and some of its derailed coaches collided with Yeshwantpur-Howrah Express, on June 2.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Death toll from Israeli strikes in northeast Lebanon rises from 8 to 24, Lebanese news agency says
Deir al-Balah, Nov 1: Israeli airstrikes on Friday killed at least 24 people in northeastern Lebanon, the country's news agency said, raising the death toll from eight there.
It was the latest deadly toll in the area since the conflict between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah escalated last month.
Israel's military has said that its operation in Lebanon is targeting Hezbollah's military infrastructure.
Lebanon's state National news Agency reported four airstrikes in different villages across country's northeast, saying rescuers were still searching for survivors in Younine, a town in the Bekaa Valley, from the rubble of a targeted house.
Hussein Haj Hassan, a Lebanese lawmaker representing the region in Baalbek-Hermel region, said that 60,000 people have already fled their homes in the area due to Israeli bombardment.
