The Punjab government on Monday said it had taken departmental action against six police officers and chargesheeted seven employees of the Amritsar municipal corporation for the death of 60 people who were mowed by a train last year.
Chief Minister Amarinder Singh also dismissed media reports accusing the state government of taking no action against the culprits.
The diesel multiple unit (DMU) train hurtled through a crowd which had gathered onto the railwaytracks to watch a Ravana effigy burn on Dussehra.
The police and municipal personnel had been found guilty of dereliction of duty and necessary action had been ordered against them, based on the findings of the magisterial inquiry report, an official release said here.
The magisterial enquiry into the incident, which occurred on October 19, 2018, was conducted by Divisional Commissioner Jalandhar B Purushartha, on the orders of the chief minister.
Taking cognizance of some recent reports, Singh clarified that due action, as per the law, was being taken against all those found guilty, and there was no question of brushing the matter aside or burying the inquiry report, as alleged in a section of the media.
His government was also taking all possible steps to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future, said Singh, pointing out that detailed guidelines were issued to the police and local government officers suggesting corrective measures, including creation of a single window/authority to accept applications and grant permissions for such events.
The commissionerates of police in Amritsar, Ludhiana and Jalandhar, besides the SDMs in other areas, had already been appointed Single Authority for this purpose, he added.
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