Balasore train tragedy: Railway official submits dissent note

The note has hinted at a coverup exercise with the possibility of tinkering of the record with a view to change the sequence of events leading to the accident

A dissent note by one of the five-member inquiry committee set up by the Railway Ministry for preliminary probe has triggered suspicion about the possibility of tampering of the record to cover-up the sequence of events leading to the major train accident in Odisha.

Soon after the accident on June 2 evening, the Indian Railways had set up a five-member inquiry committee and sought a preliminary report within 24 hours.

The preliminary report submitted on June 3 points to a faulty signal as a probable cause for the accident which claimed 288 lives and injured more than 1,000 passengers. However, one of the five also submitted a separate ‘dissent note’.

The note, signed by A K Mahanta, a senior section engineer of the signalling department of Indian Railways at Balasore, has hinted at a coverup exercise with the possibility of tinkering of the record with a view to change the sequence of events leading to the accident.

In the note titled "Dissent note regarding joint finding report on derailment", Mahanta said, 'I did not agree with point no-4 [of the preliminary report] which mentioned that point 17 A was found set for a loop line. Based on observation from the Data logger report the point 17 was set for the normal side. It may be reversed after the derailment.'

"The point of derailment is before the LC (level crossing) gate 94 that is before point 17 A," his note read.

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Point no. 4 of the preliminary report says, “Point no. 17 A was found set for the up loop line (in reverse condition) of BNBR station at km no 255/13-15."

Mahanta’s dissent note also said that “The point of derailment [was] before the LC [level crossing] gate 94 that is before point 17 A.”

While the preliminary report said the switch or Point 17 A (responsible for the train changing direction) was set for the loop line and the Coromandel Express accordingly entered the loop line at 128 kmph, Mahanta says the data logger — the black box of train operation is concerned — says otherwise.

According to Mahanta, the switch was set “for normal side”, meaning the train was meant to go straight ahead. He also claimed that “It (Point 17) may be reversed after the derailment.”

Now the data logger, which is key as it has all records of signalling systems of a railway station, is seized by the railways for probe.