Magisterial probe to be over this week
Inquiry officer had gone abroad to attend a family function after launching probe into the September 4 incident
The magisterial probe into Batala firecracker factory blast will be concluded within this week, said inquiry officer and Gurdaspur additional deputy commissioner (general) Tejinderpal Singh Sandhu here on Monday. Sandhu had left for abroad to attend a family function after launching the inquiry into the incident.
Punjab chief minister Capt.Amarinder Singh had ordered a time-bound magisterial probe into the incident on September 5, one day after the blast that killed 24 people and left many injured. The report of the inquiry was to be submitted to the government within 15 days. But after the inquiry officer left for abroad, the probe in the incident was delayed.
On returning to India, Sandhu joined his duty on Monday.When contacted on phone,he said that he had started inquiry into the incident and he will record statement of the officers concerned of the offices of the deputy commissioner, senior superintendent of police and municipal council.
Commenting on delay into the inquiry, Sandhu said that he had sought for extension of time to complete the probe before leaving the country.
Earlier, while visiting the families of the victims of the blast in Batala on September 5, CM Amarinder Singh had also ordered an inquiry into the inordinate delay in submission of report of a similar mishap that had happened in a Batala firecracker factory in January 2017, claiming one life and injuring three others.The chief minister had said that accountability of the officers concerned will be fixed for the delay in taking action in 2017 mishap.
Batala SSP Opinderjit Singh Ghuman could not be contacted for his comments despite repeated phone calls.