Police commando, photojournalist injured as protesters clash with cops; traffic restored

Amritsar, Oct. 21 (PTI): A police commando and a photojournalist were injured Sunday when protesters pelted stones and clashed with security personnel who removed them from a rail track where 59 Dussehra revellers were mowed down by a train, officials said, adding traffic was restored on the route.
The agitated protesters blocking the track were removed and train services resumed this afternoon, 40 hours after the horrific accident, a railway spokesperson said. On Friday evening, a gathering of more than 300 people were on the tracks to watch the burning of a Ravana effigy when the speeding train struck leaving 59 dead and scores injured.

The first goods train started from Manawala to Amritsar at 1416 hours, Northern Railways spokesperson Deepak Kumar told PTI, adding this is being followed by mail/express trains. Meanwhile, Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Suresh Arora on Sunday said Additional Director General of Police (Railways) Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota will conduct an inquiry into the Amritsar train accident to fix responsibility.

There has been negligence on someone’s part and this probe has been ordered to fix accountability, the DGP told media persons on the sidelines of the 59th Police Commemoration Day parade.

Arora said it was a tragic incident and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has already ordered a magisterial probe under Divisional Commissioner, Jalandhar, B Purusartha, who would submit a report within four weeks.

He said ADGP Sahota would also conduct an inquiry to ensure that those responsible for the accident are nailed. At least 59 people were killed Friday evening after a crowd of Dussehra revellers that had spilled onto railway tracks while watching the burning of a Ravana effigy was run over by a train near Joda Phatak here.