Amritsar police chief Srivastava, 73 others record statements

PROBE ON Event organisers to appear before magistrate today

AMRITSAR: The organisers of the Dussehra event, which turned into nightmare leading to loss of 61 lives, will turn up before Jalandhar divisional commissioner B Purushartha on Tuesday.

He visited the Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) office for the last day of public hearing on the train tragedy during which commissioner of police SS Srivastava among 74 eyewitnesses, injured, family members of the deceased recorded their statements.

INDIAN RAILWAY OFFICIALS SUMMONED

He said, “We have also summoned the Indian Railways officials.”

Purushartha, who has been appointed as a special executive magistrate to probe the tragedy, said, “Saurabh Madaan aka Mithu and other organisers of the event will record their statements on Tuesday.”

“Hopefully the organisers will come themselves to get their statements recorded. If they don’t turn up, legal action will be taken against them as their statements are crucial to the probe,” he said.

The chief organiser of the event Mithu Madaan is the son of Congress councillor Vijay Madaan. Local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu’s wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu was the chief guest of the event.

Madaan was accused of mobilising the huge gathering near the railway tracks while Kaur is accused of delaying the ceremonial burning of the Ravana’s effigy and leaving the function after the tragedy took place.

When asked about whether Kaur will also appear on Tuesday,purushartha said, “How will she come without being summoned? I have not summoned her yet. If need arises everyone will be summoned.

Commissioner of police (CP), Amritsar, SS Srivastava, who also appeared before the magistrate on Monday said, “I have recorded my statement with the magistrate.”

Eyewitnesses had accused the Amritsar police for not moving the crowd from the tracks though around 100 policemen, including a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) and two station house officers (SHOS), were deployed for security at the event.

GIRI AVOIDS MEDIA

Commissioner of municipal corporation (MC), Amritsar, Sonali Giri, also turned up before the magistrate on Monday but she avoided talking to media.