Seven years of Dasehra train tragedy: Victims await justice, only four witnesses examined so far

Seven years after the horrific Dasehra rail tragedy that claimed 59 lives and left nearly a hundred others grievously injured, justice remains a distant dream for the victims’ families. What was once termed a “tragedy of errors” has now become, for many, a tragedy of endless wait.

Despite the passage of time, the trial has crawled at a snail’s pace. Out of the 328 prosecution witnesses listed, a mere four have been examined so far. The trial began only in June 2020.

Allegations of witnesses being pressured and influenced by the accused have only compounded their despair. The victims and their families, who lost loved ones on that fateful evening in October 2018 when two speeding trains ploughed through a crowd gathered for Ravan Dahan celebrations near Joda Phatak, expressed deep resentment over the inordinate delays.

Prominent human rights lawyer and Punjab Human Rights Organisation (PHRO) member Sarabjit Singh Verka, who has been representing the victims’ families, alleged that the accused continue to enjoy political patronage. “Witnesses are being influenced, which explains why many are reluctant to appear in court,” he said.

Even the Government Railway Police’s (GRP) challan had admitted the reluctance to arrest the accused, citing their political clout and possible law-and-order repercussions, he added.

For Deepak Kumar, an eyewitness who lost both his father and uncle in the carnage, the pain remains raw. “I have not even received summon from the court till date. The incident still haunts me every night,” he shared.

Despite initial promises of accountability, action against officials came only after the PHRO made the magisterial inquiry report public, a year after it was filed with the government. The report was submitted by the then Jalandhar Divisional Commissioner, squarely blamed official lapses and termed the tragedy a “tragedy of errors”.

Subsequently, departmental proceedings were initiated against officials of the Railways, the municipal corporation, and the Amritsar police. In June 2020, a charge-sheet was finally filed against seven accused —Saurav Madaan (now a Congress councillor), Rahul Kalyan, Deepak Kumar, Karan Bhandhari, Kabul Singh, Deepak Gupta, and Bhupinder Singh.

However, the charges were framed only under Sections 304-A (causing death by negligence), 337 and 338 of the IPC, significantly watering down the case from culpable homicide to negligence.

The next hearing has now been fixed for October 29, 2025.