Amritsar train mishap: Councillor behind Dussehra event missing; SAD demands independent probe

SAD has demanded an independent probe into the Amritsar train mishap.

AMRITSAR: Municipal corporation councillor Vijay Madan and her son Sourabh Madan Mithu, the main organisers of the Dussehra celebration in Amritsar where at least 59 people were run over by a passing train, have gone underground with other family members.

According to police, a few people angry over the accident attacked their residence, broke window panes and pelted stones on Saturday.

Following this, the Madan family members have gone to an undisclosed location and also switched off their mobile phones. 

However, securuty personnel have been deployed at the residence.

Vijay Madan is the sitting councillor from ward number 29 falling under the Amritsar East assembly constituency. 

The Madan family members were the main organisers of the Dussehra event where the train accident took place.

The Punjab government had on Saturday ordered a magisterial probe into the accident, while railways has ruled out any inquiry on its part. 

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said that a magisterial inquiry into the train accident will be conducted and the report will be submitted in four weeks.

Singh also postponed a trip to Israel and arrived in Amritsar to assess the damage.

"We are announcing a magisterial probe into the incident," Singh told reporters.

The shocking accident happened when a crowd of Dussehra revellers spilled onto the railway tracks near Joda Phatak and could not see the train approaching them. 

They were crushed under the wheels of the train coming from Jalandhar and heading towards Amritsar station.

The Railways, while ruling out an inquiry into the mishap, has said it was not informed by the organisers or the local administration that a Dussehra event was being organised close to railway tracks. 

Railway officials said no permission was sought from them either and ruled out an inquiry by the department into what they said was the worst accident due to 'trespass' on railway tracks.

The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) will not probe the Amritsar tragedy, the Railway Board chairman said while maintaining that it was not a railway accident but a case of ''trespassing'' on rail tracks.

The Commission of Railway Safety works under the administrative control of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and conducts a mandatory inquiry into all railway accidents - at unmanned level crossings, derailments or after a bridge collapse.

"The Commission conducts a statutory investigation into railway accidents. This was an incident where people were trespassing on the tracks and not an accident," Railway Board chairman Ashwani Lohani said.

The railways has maintained that it was not at fault because it had no information about the Dussehra event. Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha ruled out any punitive action by his department.

"The incident was not a railways' fault. There was no lapse on our part and no action against the driver will be initiated," Sinha said Saturday.

Meanwhile, opposition parties in Punjab, including BJP, AAP and SAD have called for stringent against those responsible for the event and dismissal of Sidhu from the state government. SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal has said that an independent agency should conduct an inquiry into Amritsar train tragedy that claimed lives of 59 people.

He further attacked Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh-led Punjab government for taking the incident “lightly”. 

“The present government is taking the accident lightly as Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said that inquiry report will come after four weeks. An FIR should be registered on the statements of the victims. An inquiry should be done by an independent agency,” he said.

The SAD leader also asked the Chief Minister to take action against those responsible for the accident.

Badal also demanded compensation of Rs 1 crore per person and government jobs for the families of those killed in the tragic train accident.

Badal demanded immediate dismissal of Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu from the cabinet beside registration of a fresh FIR against his family based on statements of the victims.

He alleged that Sidhu's wife Navjot Kaur was solely answerable for the accident as she was the chief guest at the Dussehra function and responsible for holding such a big event sans security and safety measures.

She has been facing criticism for allegedly leaving the site of the accident "without bothering" about the victims.

The former deputy chief minister also demanded action against organisers of the function, saying they were responsible for making the people stand on the railway track.

Meanwhile, former minister and secretary of SAD, Bikram Singh Majithia said that ruling government should be held accountable for the incident as it did not inform the railways about the event being organised there.

“A case is being filed against four unknown people, on the basis of the statement made by a police officer, who was not even present at the accident spot, even when every single person responsible for this accident was identified from the CCTV footage. Why the matter is being covered up. We demand an immediate registration of the case. We will launch an agitation if the investigation not carried out properly,” Majithia said.

The unfortunate accident took place in Choura Bazar near Jhoda Phatak area of Amritsar after a train ran over the crowd, standing along train tracks, to watch an effigy of Ravan being burnt. 

59 people died and many sustained injuries in the tragedy.