In a bizarre turn of events, a woman from Maniabanda in Cuttack district, Odisha, finds herself in trouble after attempting to fabricate her husband’s death in the Balasore train accident. Gitanjali Datta had falsely claimed that her husband, Bijay Datta, had died in the tragic incident that occurred on June 2, with the intention of claiming compensation announced by the state government and Railways. However, her deceitful act was exposed during the verification process, leading to further complications.
Upon investigation, it was discovered that Gitanjali’s claim was completely baseless, and she had even wrongly identified a body as her husband’s. While the police initially let her go with a warning, the situation took a turn when Bijay Datta filed a complaint at the Maniabandha police station. Fearing arrest, Gitanjali has gone into hiding, exacerbating the legal complexities surrounding the case.
The couple had been living separately for the past 13 years, adding a layer of complexity to the unfolding situation. Bijay has demanded stringent action against Gitanjali for her fraudulent attempts to exploit public funds and deceitfully fake his death. In response to the incident, Maniabanda police station in-charge Basant Kumar Satpathy stated that Gitanjali’s husband has been advised to lodge a complaint at the Bahanaga police station in Balasore district since the incident occurred there.
The case has drawn the attention of Chief Secretary PK Jena, who has urged the Railways and Odisha police to take decisive action against individuals involved in such fraudulent claims over bodies. The incident has raised concerns about the misuse of compensation funds meant for the families of the victims.
The Balasore train accident itself was a tragic incident that occurred when the Coromandel Express collided with a stationary goods train, resulting in the derailment of several coaches. The accident claimed the lives of 288 people and left over 1,200 injured. The incident also caused some coaches of the Bengaluru-Howrah Express, passing by at the same time, to topple over.
In response to the devastating incident, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced a compensation of ₹5 lakh for the families of those who lost their lives, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared a compensation of ₹2 lakh. Furthermore, the Railway Ministry pledged ₹10 lakh in compensation for the families affected by the accident.
The fraudulent attempt made by Gitanjali Datta to exploit the tragedy for personal gain highlights the need for strict measures against such deceptive practices.
