Mithu surfaces, denies responsibility
AMRITSAR: Five days after the horrendous Amritsar tragedy that killed 61, Saurabh Madan Mithu, the main organiser of the Dusshera event, appeared in an interview on TV channels on Wednesday. He says that he had not taken permission from the railways as it was not required. Previously, he had said all permissions were taken.
“I am not at all responsible for the accident as I organised the event within the permitted boundary. There was an 8-feet boundary wall between the event venue and the railway land. People came and stood there. We even made announcements, asking them to move,” Madan says.
“Other members of the Dussehra committee have received summons to appear before a probe team, but I am yet to receive any,” he claimed. He has been underground since the tragedy and says that he will join probe.
Madan defended himself and Navjot Kaur Sidhu, who was the chief guest at the event. “Navjot Kaur had left the event before the tragedy,” he added. However, since Tuesday, social media platforms are abuzz with a video where Kaur is seen as present at the event, when the tragedy took place. Kaur has maintained that she had left the venue 15 minutes before the accident.
Targeting Amritsar MC commissioner Sonali Giri, he added, “I went to meet the commissioner for taking permission and met her personal assistant. If permission was not granted, why had the MC sent its fire tender and a water tanker.”
Giri has said that no permission was granted for organising the event. Mayor Karamjit Singh Rintu, however, has admitted that a MC fire tender was present at the venue.
On why had he fled the venue, he said, “I saw a group of people coming to attack me and stones were pelted at my house. So, I had to get out of there.”
Madan added, “The stage announcer had, repeatedly, appealed to people to get off the railway tracks, but no one listened.”
Another video of the event that had gone viral on social media on the night of the tragedy has this announcement, purportedly made from the stage, “Madam (reference to Navjot Kaur Sidhu) look here. These people do not care about standing on the tracks. Even if 500 trains pass by, over 5,000 will be standing here for you.”
Eyewitnesses have also been claiming that the installation of an LED screen, facing the tracks, was one of the reasons for the high toll.
Jalandhar divisional commissioner B Purushartha, who has been appointed as special executive magistrate, started his probe into the incident on Monday. Purushartha had said he would look into the role of the Dussehra event organisers, the train driver, the Amritsar police, and Navjot Kaur Sidhu.
ALSO DEFENDS NAVJOT KAUR SIDHU, CHIEF GUEST AT THE EVENT, CLAIMING SHE HAD LEFT THE FUNCTION BEFORE THE TRAGEDY TOOK PLACE