Navjot Singh Sidhu, wife given clean chit in Amritsar train tragedy

Punjab minister and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu and his wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu on Thursday were given a clean chit in the Amritsar train mishap case. The train accident that took place on October 19 killed more than 60 people and injured over 70 when people were watching the burning of the Ravana effigy from a railway track.

Sidhu has been in the line of fire since the incident as the event where the mishap occurred was attended by his wife Navjot Kaur.

In this case, a judicial inquiry was conducted and investigations were done by Jalandhar Divisional Commissioner B Purushartha. In the 300-page investigation report, Sidhu and his wife has been given given a clean chit.

According to sources, the inquiry report said that other organizers, including Dussehra organisers Mithud Madan, who had organized on the day of the incident, did not have the right permission for this event nor did they have any arrangements to control the crowd.

It is believed that soon this report will be brought soon by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh.

Over 700 people were watching the huge Ravana effigy going up in flames amid exploding crackers when the Jalandhar-Amritsar DMU passenger train coming to Amritsar from Hoshiarpur came hurtling down around 7 pm. It took just about 10-15 seconds for the train to pass -- and leave behind a heap of crushed and dismembered bodies. People standing on the tracks did not realise that the train was approaching fast due to the noise of the firecrackers during the burning effigy. 

Sidhu had declared that he will adopt the families of those who died in the Amritsar train tragedy. Making the announcement at a press conference, Sidhu had said, “I will take care of them for the rest of my life”.

Dismissing attacks on his wife, Sidhu had questioned the role of the Centre after the incident, asking why the driver was given a clean chit within six hours of the mishap, wherein a train ran over a crowd of people watching Ravana dahan in Amritsar.

“Railway engine, police, guards, tracks belong to Centre and FIR also has been lodged by the Centre. The driver was given a clean chit within 6 hours. Why has his name not been revealed? Is it possible that a train is approaching and the guards can't see it?” the cricketer-turned-politician had said.