Amritsar train tragedy: GRP SIT dilutes charges, gives clean chit to cops, MC and rly staff

The Government Railway Police (GRP)’s special investigation team (SIT), which was constituted to fix criminal responsibility in the Dussehra train tragedy, filed

The Government Railway Police (GRP)’s special investigation team (SIT), which was constituted to fix criminal responsibility in the Dussehra train tragedy, filed a chargesheet against seven organisers of the event, including a close aide of Navjot Singh Sidhu, without making their arrests.

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The SIT has diluted charges against the accused besides giving clean chit to the police, railways and the municipal corporation employees, who were indicted in magisterial and judicial probes, in the chargesheet, which was filed before duty magistrate Harpreet Singh on June 6.

On October 19, 2018, a speeding train had mowed down 61 persons and injured more than 100 people who had gathered for Dussehra celebrations at Dhobi Ghat near Jaura Phatak in Amritsar. The GRP had registered a case under Sections 304, 304 (A), 337 and 338 of the IPC against unidentified persons.

In the chargesheet, the SIT named Dussehra committee’s president and Congress councillor’s son Saurabh Madan alias Mithu Madan, general secretary Rahul Kalyan, cashier Deepak Kumar, secretaries Karan Bhandari and Kabal Singh, press secretary Deepak Gupta, and executive member Bhupinder Singh as accused under Sections 304 (A), 337 and 338 of the IPC.

GRP Amritsar SHO Sukhwinder Singh, who is a member of the SIT, said, “During the investigation, the SIT had found that the accused didn’t commit the crime intentionally. So, Section 304 was removed.”

Section 304-A of the IPC simply consists of imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or both. Contrary to it, Section 304 of the IPC contains imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to 10 years and shall also be liable to fine.

According to law experts, the chargesheet filed in court without arresting the accused will be helpful in getting early bail. The court had summoned the accused on July 30.

In the chargesheet, the SIT told court that “all accused are influential and possess political status. With arrest of the accused, disruption of law and order situation can’t be ruled out.”

Advocate Sarabjit Singh Verka of the Punjab Human Rights Organisation (PHRO) said, “The chargesheet was filed secretly with a clear motive of saving the accused. To make the case strong, the SIT should have arrested the accused and interrogated them before filing the challan. Even, the chief guest of the Dussehra event Navjot Kaur Sidhu was not questioned in the probe. It shows that the accused are more powerful than the SIT.”

He said, “The chargsheet, which appears to have filed in favour of the accused, has also not added any criminal charge against the police, railways and MC employees, who were held responsible for negligence in the magisterial probe.”

A SIT member, on condition of anonymity, said, “Departmental action against seven policemen who were responsible for giving security clearance to the organisers, the then GRP SHO Balbir Singh, and four employees has already been initiated. They were not found to be criminally accused during the probe.”