Hindustan Times (Amritsar)

MC fails to take action against event organisers

Function was organised on civic body’s property without its permission

- Anil Sharma anil.kumar@htlive.com ■

AMRITSAR: Four days have elapsed since a passenger train mowed down 61 revellers witnessing Dussehra ceremony at Dhobi Ghat, however, municipal corporatio­n Amritsar (MC) has failed to take any action against the event organisers.

The function was organised by Congress councillor Vijay Madaan and her son Saurabh Madaan alias Mithu who has gone undergroun­d since Friday night.Local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu’s wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu was the chief guest on the occasion.

MC commission­er Sonali Giri had said, “The event organisers had not taken permission from me.” However, the ground where the function was organised belongs to the civic body. Mayor Karamjit Singh Rintu had said, “MC fire tender and employees were present at the site of function.” Saurabh Madaan had also claimed in a video message that an MC water tanker was also there.

Despite several attempts, Giri remained unavailabl­e for comments. Repeated calls and text messages failed to elicit response from the MC commission­er.

On the condition of anonymity, MC commission­er, Punjab, said, “As the function was organised at the MC’s ground and the organisers had possession of the property temporaril­y without permission, the civic body should have filed an immediate FIR against the organisers for trespassin­g.”

ANOTHER VIDEO SURFACES

Another 53-second video clip has surfaced on social media where Navjot Kaur Sidhu can be seen in the event while the effigy of Ravana was being burnt.

The video has brought another embarrassm­ent for Navjot as she had been claiming that she had left the event 15 minutes before the accident happened. In the video, an announcer can also be heard saying that many people have been mowed down by a train.

A first informatio­n report (FIR) has been registered by GRP against unidentifi­ed persons.

 ?? SAMEER SEHGAL/HT ?? ■ Cops stand guard near a railway crossing at Jaura Fatak area in Amritsar on Tuesday.
SAMEER SEHGAL/HT ■ Cops stand guard near a railway crossing at Jaura Fatak area in Amritsar on Tuesday.

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