Odisha train mishap: As media points to ‘absconding’ official, railway says ‘factually incorrect’

With several media outlets claiming that a railway official named Amir Khan has gone missing amid the CBI’s probe into the Balasore train mishap, the South Eastern Railway has clarified that this is “factually incorrect”.

South Eastern Railway CPRO Aditya Kumar Chaudhary said, “A few media reports are coming in that a Bahanaga staff is absconding and missing. This is factually incorrect. The entire staff is present and part of the inquiry. They are appearing before the agency.”

The remarks came after sections of the TV media, including TV9 Bharatvarsh and News Nation, news agency IANS, and the India TV portal reported that CBI officials visited junior engineer Amir Khan’s rented accommodation in Soro but found it locked and the family missing. The CBI had earlier questioned Khan and other railway staff over the incident. 

Everyone’s favourite hatemonger ‘reported’ it as well, claiming the CBI had sealed “murderer” Khan’s house. It later deleted the tweet.

WION reported on similar lines, but later changed their headline and revised the report without acknowledging that they initially got it wrong.

Newslaundry could not independently confirm whether Khan’s residence had been sealed as reported by several media houses before.

Meanwhile, News Nation reported that Khan’s disappearance “raises many questions” and that the CBI is trying to find answers.

The CBI had taken over the probe into the triple train tragedy on June 6 and filed an FIR amid allegations of tampering with the electronic interlocking system.

The Odisha train accident involving three trains claimed approximately 275 lives and left 1,000 injured. But that did not stop unscrupulous elements from attempting to add a communal angle to the tragedy that took place on June 2.

On social media, posts alleged a white structure near the tracks was a “mosque”, implying that members of the Muslim community were purportedly involved in the accident. These posts went viral, forcing the Odisha police to issue a clarification about handles “mischievously giving communal colour to the tragic train accident”.

Find all about it in this Newslaundry ground report.

Update at 11.10 am, June 21: Several news outfits, including the Indian Express, reported that Khan was questioned for several hours by the CBI on Tuesday, a day after his house was sealed.