Amritsar Dusshera function had no permission, Amarinder orders ‘stern action’

Chandigarh, Dec 6 (IANS) The magisterial inquiry into the Amritsar train tragedy that claimed 61 lives has held that the Dusshera event organized by a ruling Punjab Congress leader was held “without permission” and “without undertaking required safety and security measures”.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on December 6 “ordered stern action against all those found responsible for the Amritsar train mishap, after the magisterial probe found the gateman of the railway crossing at Jaura Phatak and the organizers of the event accountable for various acts of omissions and commissions leading to the unfortunate tragedy”.
The inquiry report stated that “the organizers were not having any approval/permission required for holding this event of Dussehra celebration including ‘Ravan Dahan’ at Dhobi Ghat and they held the event in an illegal manner, compromising the safety and security of spectators’ life”.
The inquiry report observed that while the spectators “committed the mistake” of watching the event from rail tracks, “the organizers held this event without any permission and without undertaking required safety and security measures”.
The report stated that “key rail employees failed to take safety and security measures even after having full knowledge of presence of a large number of people on and around the rail tracks”.
The inquiry also made it clear that Navjot Kaur Sidhu, the wife of the Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, who attended the function as a Chief Guest, had “no role in organizing the event”.
The probe commissioner submitted his 300-page report to the Punjab Home Department on November 21. Over 150 people were examined during the probe.
Opposition leaders and locals alleged that Navjot Kaur, a former legislator, fled the scene after the train killings.

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