Amritsar court frames charges against Sidhu’s aide, six others
Judge says prima facie it makes a case of causing death by negligence and grievous hurt besides other sections
AMRITSAR: A local court in Amritsar has framed charges of “causing death by negligence” against seven organisers of the Dussehra event, including a close associate of Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu, during which at least 60 people were mowed down by a speeding train near the city’s Jora Phatak locality on October 19, 2018.
The event was organised by
Saurabh, alias Mithu Madan, a close aide of the then local bodies minister Sidhu whose wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu was chief guest on the occasion.
Judicial magistrate (first class) Vishav Gupta in his September 5 order noted, “From the perusal of the final report and accompanying documents, it prima facie makes a case under sections 304-A (causing death by negligence), 338 (grievous hurt) and 337 (causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code. The chargesheet for the offence is served on the accused who pleaded guilty.”
The next date of hearing has been fixed on December 2.
GRP filed chargesheet against 7 last year
The government railway police (GRP) had filled a chargesheet against seven organisers of the event in June last year. The accused are Dussehra committee president Mithu Madan whose mother Vijay Madan is a Congress councillor, and other office-bearers Rahul Kalyan, Deepak Kumar, Karan Bhandari, Kabal Singh, Deepak Gupta, and Bhupinder Singh.
Soon after the incident, the GRP had registered an FIR under sections 304 (culpable homicide), 304 (A), 337 and 338 of the Indian Penal Code against unidentified persons. But section 304 (that provides imprisonment of for a term which up to 10 years) of the Indian Penal Code was removed when the chargesheet was filed in the court.
The victims’ families have been alleging that police deliberately removed Section 304 under “political pressure”.
Deepak Kumar, whose father died in the tragedy, said, “At last, we have got a ray of hope of justice after three years. We have faith in the court. But we will also file an appeal in the court against the removal of section 304 against the accused. A strict punishment should be handed over to the culprits,” Deepak said.