Woman Fakes Husband's Death In Odisha Train Accident, He Files Case

A woman faked the death of her husband in the Balasore train disaster in order to get compensation money declared by the state government and railways.

The woman, Gitanjali Datta from Maniabanda in the Cuttack district, Odisha, claimed that her husband Bijay Datta perished in the accident on June 2. She even claimed to have recognised a body as her husband's. Her bogus claim was discovered after the documents were checked.

Gitangali's husband lodged a complaint at the Maniabandha police station. Police said the woman is currently hiding out because she fears being arrested.

Woman Fakes Husband's Death

The couple has been living away from each other for the past 13 years, according to the police. Bijay demanded that strict action be taken against Gitanjali for fabricating his demise in order to receive monetary compensation for the "loss".

In the meantime, Chief Secretary PK Jena announced that the Odisha police and the Railways will take harsh action against anyone submitting false claims for corpses.

Naveen Patnaik, the chief minister of Odisha, had already declared a compensation of 5 lakh rupees for the families of those slain, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a compensation of 2 lakh rupees. The Railway Ministry said that the families of those who perished in the disaster will receive 10 lakh rupees in compensation.

At 7 p.m. on June 2, the Coromandel Express collapsed after striking a stopped good train, derailing the majority of its coaches. More than 1,200 people were hurt, and 288 people died in the tragic accident.

The final few coaches of the Bengaluru-Howrah Express, which was passing through at the same time, were knocked over by a few Coromandel carriages resulting in more than 200 lives being lost in the accident.

The army was deployed to assist in the evacuation of survivors trapped in the rubble.

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