Tribune News Service
Amritsar, October 9
The court of judicial magistrate has framed charges against PCC president Navjot Singh Sidhu’s aide Saurav, alias Mithu Madaan, and six other members of the committee that had organised the October 2018 Dasehra event near Jaura Phatak in which over 50 persons were mowed down by a train.
The crowd had spilled on to the railway track to watch the burning of effigies when the ran them over.
After a probe, the Government Railway Police had claimed the organisers had organised the event without mandatory permissions and safety measures. The programme was held at Dhobi Ghat, which lacked space to accommodate large gatherings. Interestingly, the GRP had submitted a challan in court without making arrests, fearing a law and order situation could arise as the accused enjoyed “political patronage”. The GRP had registered a case under Sections 304-A (death by negligence), 337 (causing hurt) and 338 (grievous hurt) of the Indian Penal Code on October 19, 2018.
While framing charges, the court pointed out that after examining the final report and accompanying documents, a case under the aforesaid Sections had been made out. The court has fixed December 2 as the next date of hearing while summoning the prime witnesses.
Other organising committee members against whom charges have been framed included Rahul Kalyan, Deepak Kumar, Karan Bhandari, Kabal Singh, Deepak Gupta and Bhupinder Singh.
58 were killed in 2018 train mishap
Oct 19, 2018 A train mows down crowd watching Dasehra festivities at Dhobi Ghat, near Jaura Phatak; 58 die
Oct 21 Government Railway Police register case against unidentified suspects as state govt orders magisterial probe
Oct 22 State government forms an SIT of GRP to fix criminal responsibility
Nov 22 Then Jalandhar Div Commissioner B Purusartha submits report to govt, holding organising panel members, MC officials, police, Rly staff guilty
July 2020 Police file chargesheet in court; Mithu Madaan, six other organising panel members nominated
Oct 5, 2021 Charges framed against Madaan, 6 others
Dasehra tragedy: Navjot Singh Sidhu aide among 7 chargesheeted
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