NHRC notice to Railway Board, Odisha govt on Bahanaga train accident issue | India News

BHUBANESWAR: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought action taken reports from the chairman, Railway Board, and chief secretary of Odisha on the alleged violation of human rights of the passengers of the accident-hit trains due to negligence and failure of railway authorities in the Bahanaga triple train tragedy.
The Commission passed this direction on Tuesday after hearing a petition filed by human rights activist and lawyer Radhakanta Tripathy. The petitioner has alleged that many bodies are yet to be identified after one month of the train accident. Still many families are searching for their missing kin who were travelling in the Coromandel Express and Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast trains on June 2 evening.
Tripathy has also alleged that rights of deceased/victims were violated by the state government/Railways as the authorities had failed to give proper treatment to bodies before bringing it to the morgues of hospitals in Bhubaneswar and Balasore. “Due to lack of adequate facilities and space, the bodies were not properly preserved till identification,” he added.
The petitioner has also requested the Commission to take steps for rehabilitation of injured passengers who may not work in the future due to the accident. He also alleged that many family members could not get the whereabouts of their kin who were travelling in the accident-hit two trains on June 2 evening.
“A proper step should be taken to address the issues of the kin who are searching for their family members. Many of them are still waiting for bodies of their kin. As many as 42 bodies are yet to be identified,” said the petitioner.
He is seeking intervention of the Commission in the matter inter-alia for preventive, compensatory and rehabilitating action with some permanent solution to prevent such incidents.
The Commission has issued the direction to both the officers calling for an action taken report within a period of four weeks.
“The concerned authorities shall also intimate the Commission, if any, notice, order has been received by him/them in the instant matter from the State Human Rights Commission. If yes, a copy of such order be also sent to the Commission within four weeks,” read the NHRC order.
The NHRC has also transmitted a copy of this order to the secretary of the Odisha Human Rights Commission, calling upon him to inform this Commission the date of cognizance, if any, taken at their end in the instant matter within four weeks.