Probe ordered into MC staff’s role in Dasehra train tragedy

PK Jaiswar
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, January 23

Finding the reply of Municipal Corporation employees in the Dasehra train tragedy “unsatisfactory”, the state government has ordered a probe to ascertain their role in the case and deputed Additional District and Sessions Judge (retd) Amarjit Singh Katari as the inquiry officer.

These officials were charge-sheeted by the government in October. They are Sushant Bhatia (secretary), Kashmir Singh (Additional Divisional Fire Officer), Pushpinder Singh, (Superintendent), Girish Kumar, (Superintendent) and Kewal Krishan (Inspector). Kashmir Singh, Girish Kumar and Kewal Krishan are retired now.

The order issued by Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Kumar has asked the inquiry officer to submit the report within two months.

The copy of the orders were also forwarded to the establishment branch of the Municipal Corporation which has received the orders, it is learnt. The MC authorities were asked to coordinate between the officials and the inquiry officer.

Following the Jora Phatak train tragedy in October 18, 2018, the state government had ordered a magisterial probe by the then Divisional Commissioner, Jalandhar, B Purushartha. The probe had indicted around 23 persons, including organisers, policemen, railway employees and MC officials. The inquiry report submitted to the government on November 21, 2018, had termed the incident as ‘Tragedy of Errors’. The train accident claimed the lives of 58 persons and left 71 injured.

A report of over 100 pages pointed out that though people committed a mistake by watching the programme from the railway tracks, organisers headed by Congress leader Saurav, alias Mithu Madaan, held the event without taking permission and failed to ensure requisite safety and security measures.

It also observed that the police and municipal corporation functionaries also failed to enforce the law and gave a liberal hand to organisers while railway employees also failed to take safety and security measures even as they knew about the presence of a huge number of spectators on the tracks.

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