Amritsar train accident: Warned people 10 times not to stand on tracks, says event organiser
Amritsar, Oct 22: Saurabh Madan alias Mithu, who went into hiding after kin of the victims in Friday’s tragedy blamed him, said there were no lapses from his side.
The organiser of a Dussehra event at Amritsar’s Dhobi Ghat where 61 people were killed as a train ploughed through a crowd, claimed all permissions and safety measures were taken and he was being framed by some people who had “personal enmity” against him.
In an about one and a half minute-long video, shared by ANI, a distressed-looking Saurabh Madan alias Mithu, who went into hiding after kin of the victims in Friday’s tragedy blamed him, said there were no lapses from his side.
“I had organised the function to get everyone together. We took all permissions... we had 20 feet space around the Ravan effigy. There was no lapse from my side, we had 100 policemen at the site, a fire brigade vehicle and water tankers were there at the spot. The programme was held within the boundary of the Dhobi ghat ground, not on the (railway) lines... we hadn’t put chairs on the railways lines,” Madan said in Punjabi in the video shot in an undisclosed location.
“The train suddenly came.. it was fate. We had already made 7-10 announcements asking people not to stand on the railway lines,” he added.
Madan, the son of local Congress councillor Vijay Madan, alleged that there were “three-four mischievous people with personal enmity against him” who were spreading accusations against him, and he appealed to people not to believe them, adding he and his family were very disturbed.
Closed-circuit television footage of Madan leaving his house in an SUV surfaced on the social media on Sunday. His house has been locked ever since the accident. Angry people even threw stones at the house Saturday.
The Punjab police and the Government Railway Police (GRP) have not initiated any action against Madan yet.
“The accident took place on the railway track which is under the jurisdiction of GRP. We cannot do anything. Secondly, chief minister Amarinder Singh has ordered a magisterial inquiry in the case,” said Amritsar police commissioner S S Srivastava.
The GRP has registered an FIR against unknown persons for negligence and culpable homicide. “The matter is under investigation,” GRP Amritsar station house officer Balbir Singh said.
Hindustan Times repeatedly tried to call Madan over the phone but to no avail.
Organizer of Dusshera event Saurabh Madan Mithoo releases video message,says ' Had taken all permissions,had alerted crowd atleast 10 times to not stand on tracks. I am extremely pained by the incident. Some ppl are trying to defame me' #Amritsartrainaccident (location: unknown) pic.twitter.com/viPXBws3P8
— ANI (@ANI) October 22, 2018
Courtesy: www.hindustantimes.com
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
