Amritsar Tragedy: Dusshera organiser claims innocence, says he requested people to keep off tracks
Organiser of Dusshera festival in Amritsar, which ended in the tragic death of at least 60 people on October 19, has released a video message, claiming his innocence in the accident.
Organiser Saurabh Madan Mithoo has been absconding ever since the incident.
On October 19, Friday, a train ran over scores of people watching burning of the Ravana effigy in an Amritsar ground next to Joda Phatak. The Railways has said that it was clear case trespassing as no permission was sought or granted to hold the event on the grounds o close to the tracks.
However, the oragniser today claimed that he had taken the due permission for the event.
"Had taken all permissions, had alerted crowd at least 10 times to not stand on tracks. I am extremely pained by the incident," Mithoo said in the video. He also added that some people were trying to defame him.
"I can't explain what I am going through. I had organised the event to enjoy the festivities with everyone. I had taken all due permissions. There were at least 50 to 100 policemen present. Had also arranged for fire brigade and water tanker services," the organiser said in the video.
He further added that the event was being held in a four-walled event site and not on the tracks. "You could say it was on the tracks if we had put chairs there. But the event was organised in Dhobhi Ghat, which is also called Dusshera grounds. Its wall is even 8-10 feet high," he said.
Breaking down into tears, Mithoo alleged that there are few people who are conspiring to defame him. He ended the video saying that they had even announced several times requesting people to stay off tracks.
The video message by the organiser comes a day after driver of the locomotive which crushed the people on the fateful day claimed innocence via a letter.
The driver claimed that he had honked and applied the emergency brakes while he was 300 metres away from the crowd, but still a few people were crushed under the train. He claimed that the train had slowed down to stop but since the gathered crowd started pelting stones, he thought of passenger safety and drove off from the site of the accident.
