Police lapse led to Tarn Taran nagar kirtan blast: Inquiry

TARNTARAN:Over six months after a blast in a tractor-trailer that was part of a nagar kirtan (Sikh religious procession) killed four young men and injured three on Tarn Taran-Bhikhiwind road in Palasaur village, 10km from here, a magisterial inquiry has found negligence of police personnel concerned in discharging their duties. Potassium stocked in the tractor-trailer to produce celebratory sounds had caught fire and exploded on February 8.

Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh had asked Tarn Taran sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Rajneesh Arora to conduct an inquiry.

The inquiry report, a copy of which is with HT, also indicts Kuldeep Singh, of Pahuwind village, who manufactured the crackers illegally and sold them to the children.

“Not checking the illegal activity of manufacturing the crackers and then selling them, is negligence of police personnel or the station house officer (SHO) against whom action should be taken. Besides, when the nagar kirtan was passing through localities, it was duty of the police personnel or the SHOs concerned to make adequate security arrangements and stop bursting of crackers. They did not discharge their duties. For their negligence, action needs to be taken against them,” reads the inquiry report.

The management of Baba Deep Singh Gurdwara Pahuwind had organised the procession to mark the birth anniversary of Sikh martyr Baba Deep Singh. The report that has been sent to the state government also fixes responsibility of the gurdwara management and co-organisers of the procession for not taking permission.