Amritsar train tragedy: Sidhu\'s wife gets clean chit

Amritsar train tragedy: Sidhu's wife gets clean chit

IANS  |  Chandigarh 

Navjot Singh Sidhu's wife has been given a clean chit in a government-appointed magisterial probe into the train tragedy on Dusshera evening in which 60 people died, sources said here on Thursday.

The officials have been blamed for giving permissions without ensuring safety while railway officials have been blamed for allowing the speeding train to move on the tracks without bothering about people crowding on the tracks.

The report has been sent to Chief Minister for further action.

Over 60 people were injured in the tragedy when a diesel multiple unit (DMU) train mowed them down on a railway track near Joda Phatak in Amritsar on October 19 while they were watching the burning of a Ravana effigy.

A separate inquiry into the train tragedy conducted by the of had blamed "negligence" of the people, who were standing on the railway track, for the incident.

Mithoo was the main organiser of the Dusshera event while was the chief guest.

said on Thursday that they had predicted earlier that the Sidhu couple would get a clean chit in the magisterial probe.

The submitted his 300-page report to the on November 21. Over 150 people were examined during the probe.

Sidhu and his wife were both summoned by the one-man probe commission. However, Sidhu, who was present in Amritsar on November 2 when he was summoned, failed to turn up and said he was not in Punjab from October 16 to 20 and could not give any "inputs".

Opposition leaders and locals alleged that Navjot Kaur, a former legislator, fled the scene after the train killings.

There were allegations that the event was organised without mandatory permissions, which had to be given by the municipal corporation which falls under the local government department headed by Sidhu.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Thu, December 06 2018. 19:20 IST