Balasore train tragedy: CBI officer supervising accident probe gets extension

Senior IPS officer Viplav Kumar Choudhry, who is supervising the CBI probe in the June 2 Balasore train accident, was on Wednesday given a one-and-a-half-year extension as a joint director in the agency.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the extension in his deputation tenure for a further period of one year and six months from March 28, 2023 to September 27, 2024 (seven years in total), the Personnel Ministry said in an order.

Choudhry, a 1997-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre, is currently in-charge of special crime zone, Delhi.

An official said he is also supervising the CBI probe in the Balasore train tragedy.

The crash involving the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and a goods train occurred around 7 PM on June 2 near the Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore, Odisha.

Also, the tenure of another Joint Director Pankaj Kumar Srivastava was also extended till November 24, 2023.

Srivastava, a 1992-batch IPS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre, is currently pursuing a training course.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved extension in Srivastava's tenure from February 9, 2023 to November 24, 2023, the order said.