Captain for stern action, fixing responsibility
Sidhu couple gets clean chit, but aide Mithu, MC officials, cops face criminal action
CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday ordered stern action against all those held responsible by the magisterial probe for the Amritsar train mishap that claimed 61 lives during Dussehra celebrations on October 19.
A senior official in the chief minister’s office said that Amarinder has asked the departments concerned to identify officials who gave permission for the Dussehra festivities along the rail track and take criminal and administrative action against them.
In his 300-page report, Jalandhar divisional commissioner B Purushartha held officials of the Amritsar municipal corporation, district police and railways, who are the cutting edge, responsible for lapses. The report has not held any officer of the district administration responsible.
Though Purushartha gave a clean chit to Amritsar East MLA and local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and his wife Dr Nav- jot Kaur Sidhu, he held their aide Mithu Madaan, the son of local councillor Vijay Madaan, responsible for organising the celebrations without permission and failing to manage the crowd. Navjot Kaur was the chief guest at the event that started after dusk when a train ran over spectators gathered on the tracks adjoining the venue to watch the burning of the effigy of Ravana. After the tragedy, Mithu went underground, fearing public ire.
BYPASSING SAFETY
The inquiry report said the Ravan dahan (burning) at Dhobi Ghat was held illegally, compromising the safety of spectators.
Another official requesting anonymity said that Mithu will face police action and in all probability will be booked in a criminal case. The report said Mithu used Sidhu’s influence to hold the event, bypassing safety norms.
“Everyone concerned with the organisation, regulation and supervision of the event under inquiry committed omissions and commissions, including dereliction of statutory duties,” the report said.
RAIL STAFF TO BLAME
“It is true that such omissions, commissions, dereliction of duties have not been done for the first time (but) in this event it combined with the blunders committed on the part of key rail employees,” it said.
The inquiry concluded that Amit Singh, the gateman at Jaura Phatak (gate number 27), not only failed in discharging his duty but also committed a blunder by not taking safety measures that could have prevented the accident.
The report blamed the gateman at gate number 26 also for his failure to prevent the mishap. “It is evident that the gateman at gate number 26, Nirmal Singh, also failed to discharge his statutory duties by his late reaction in informing the Jaura Phatak gateman. He came to know about this gathering on the tracks at 5.30pm but informed Amit Singh at 6.45pm. He did not inform the station master and kept giving the all clear signal to approaching trains. Therefore, he is also responsible for this blunder,” the report said.