Report clears Rlys in Amritsar tragedy

NEW DELHI: The chief commissioner of railway safety (CCRS) has absolved Indian Railways of all blame for the October 19 train accident in Amritsar , according to officials aware of the contents of the report on the accident. The report has blamed “error in working by public near railway line” for the tragedy.

As many as 59 people were killed when a train ploughed through a crowd gathered around railway tracks on Amritsar’s

THE RAILWAYS HAD EARLIER SAID IT WAS NOT MANDATORY FOR THE CCRS TO CONDUCT AN INQUIRY IN SUCH CASES BUT IT WAS NOT IMPERMISSIBLE EITHER

outskirts to watch the burning of effigies and Dussehra fireworks. Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh ordered a separate magisterial inquiry into the accident and sought a report from the police within four weeks.

A railway official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said CCRS Shailesh Kumar Pathak held a statutory inquiry into the accident and recommended that the authorities seek prior intimation from the railways about big events conducted near its tracks like in Amritsar. Pathak has also asked the railway police to conduct regular meetings with local police forces to keep a track of all such events.

The railways had earlier said it was not mandatory for the CCRS to conduct an inquiry in such cases but it was not impermissible either.

“Though prima facie, railways does not appear to be responsible in this incident, issue of inquiry by an independent and technically competent authority not reporting to the Ministry of Railways was considered and a request was made to CCRS to conduct an inquiry in this matter. Considering this, Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety (CCRS), Lucknow, has ordered a statutory inquiry into this incident,” the railways had said on November 2.