HC ALLOWS WITHDRAWAL OF PETITION SEEKING CBI PROBE

CHANDIGARH : The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday questioned a Gurgaon resident who had filed a petition seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into Amritsar train tragedy which claimed over 60 lives on Dussehra.

The high court bench of justice Krishna Murari and justice Arun Palli observed that the PIL did not appear to be a public interest litigation and was more of a “personal interest litigation” with “political interests”.

The high court was hearing the petition by Gurgaon resident Dinesh Kumar Dakoria, who had sought directions to Punjab to set up a special investigation team or handover the probe to CBI, besides pleading court to monitor the investigation.

Without taking name of Navjot Kaur Sidhu, the high court questioned the petitioner asking him how the chief guest could be held responsible for the mishap.

Former Amritsar East MLA Navjot Kaur was sought to be made party in the matter by the petitioner and he had sought registration of FIR against her during the hearing on Monday. When people themselves sit on tracks, could the governments be held responsible, the HC asked the petitioner’s lawyer Shashak Deo Sudhi.

The Punjab government counsel had apprised the court that FIR had already been registered and probe was underway and as of compensation it has already been announced by the government.