Attempts to malign Sidhu name, alleges wife Navjot Kaur after clean chit on Amritsar train tragedy

Sidhu has been in the line of fire since his wife was the chief guest at the event.

ANI photo

CHANDIGARH: Hours after the Sidhus were given a clean chit in the Amritsar train mishap case, wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu alleged that the entire episode was aimed at maligning them.

“If I am called to attend an event and an incident takes place there, then how am I responsible for it? These are attempts to malign the name of Sidhu family,” said Navjot Kaur.

Over 60 persons, standing on the tracks, were mowed down by a train that hurtled through a crowd while watching the burning of a Ravana effigy on Dussehra 2018.

Sidhu has been in the line of fire since his wife was the chief guest at the Dussehra event.

A 300-page magisterial probe report on the train accident was submitted to the Punjab Home Secretary in November. The report contained statements of over 150 people including railway officials and Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu's wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu held close to the railway tracks in Amritsar.

Sidhu and his wife were given a clean chit in the Amritsar train mishap case earlier in the day. 

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.