Chhattisgarh Police on Wednesday registered an FIR against unidentified persons for causing death by negligence in connection with the November 4 train collision near Gatora station that claimed 11 lives, including the loco pilot of a MEMU passenger train. The case, filed at Torwa police station under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Railways Act, follows a memo submitted by railway officials and marks the start of a criminal probe into potential lapses that led to the disaster.

The accident occurred around 4 pm when the Gevra Road–Bilaspur MEMU train (68733), travelling at 70-80 km/h, rammed into the rear of a stationary goods train on the busy Mumbai-Howrah route between Gatora and Bilaspur stations. The impact was catastrophic: the MEMU's engine and front coach climbed atop the goods train's brake van, mangling compartments and trapping passengers in twisted metal. Eleven people—six women among them—died on the spot or during rescue, while 20 others suffered injuries, with two remaining critical at local hospitals, including Apollo and CIMS Bilaspur.

A preliminary railway inquiry has pointed to human error, stating the MEMU crew "failed to control the train at danger signal AJ-5", committing a Signal Passed at Danger violation despite multiple warnings. The deceased loco pilot, Vidya Sagar, had been promoted just a month earlier, raising questions about experience levels, though the assistant loco pilot remains hospitalised and unable to provide a statement. A five-member team led by Commissioner of Railway Safety B. K. Mishra began statutory hearings on November 6, summoning 19 staff members to examine signalling, communication, and procedural failures on the recently upgraded automatic signalling section.

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Railways announced ₹10 lakh ex-gratia for each deceased's kin, ₹5 lakh for the grievously injured, and ₹1 lakh for minor injuries, while Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai added ₹5 lakh from the state and ₹50,000 for the injured. Tracks were restored overnight, resuming operations by dawn, but the incident—the sixth fatal rail accident this year—has renewed calls for stricter safety protocols on high-traffic corridors prioritising freight over passenger trains.

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