PTI, NEW DELHI/AMRITSAR: The Punjab government on Saturday ordered a magisterial probe into the accident near Amritsar where 59 Dussehra revellers were mowed down by a train, while railways has ruled out any inquiry on its part.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Saturday said that a magisterial inquiry into the train accident will be conducted and the report will be submitted in four weeks. The chief minister postponed a trip to Israel and arrived in Amritsar this morning to assess the damage.
“We are announcing a magisterial probe into the incident,” Singh told reporters.
He said four weeks have been given to submit the report to find out who was at fault. The divisional commissioner of Jalandhar has been entrusted with the job of holding the inquiry, he said.
Meanwhile railways on Saturday said that the tragedy was a case of trespassing and not a railway accident and ruled out a probe by the Commissioner Railway Safety.
The Commission of Railway Safety works under the administrative control of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and conducts mandatory inquiry into all railway accidents – at unmanned level crossings, derailments or after a bridge collapse.
“The Commission conducts 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 told PTI.
Railways also said that no action will be taken against the driver of the train who had managed to slow down the train to around 68 kmph from the speed of 91kmph at which he was assigned to run.
“The incident was not the railways’ fault. There was no lapse on our part and no action against the driver will be initiated,” Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha said on Saturday.
