Declaring that guilty of hooch tragedy would not be spared and properties of those responsible for this tragedy to be confiscated, besides deputing special prosecution teams for pursuing these cases; Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Friday announced to enhance the compensation being given to the victim families from existing Rs two lakh to Rs five lakh
The Chief Minister, who visited Tarn Taran to share his sympathies with the bereaved families hailing from the district, said that perpetrators of this heinous crime would not be spared at any cost and severest of severe action would be taken against them.
During interaction with the families, Capt Amarinder announced that those victims who have lost their eyesight in the tragedy would also get a financial assistance worth Rs five lakh.
Handing over a cheque of Rs 2.92 crore for 92 victim families of Tarn Taran to the Deputy Commissioner, Capt Amarinder Singh unequivocally said that anyone, however affluent he might be, responsible for this atrocious crime would not be spared at any cost.
Pointing out further, the Chief Minister said that investigations are already underway in this case and Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta has been directed to further expedite the same.
Terming these deaths as murder, Capt Amarinder categorically said that the perpetrators of this heinous crime deserve no leniency since it is a man-made tragedy.
“To ensure that culprits get exemplary punishment, special prosecution teams would be deputed to vigorously pursue these cases,” he said adding that the properties of those responsible for this unpardonable act be confiscated.
The Chief Minister said that the State Government was duty-bound to ensure strictest punishment to the culprits so that it acts as a deterrent for others in the future.
Underscoring the need to refrain from politicking over the sensitive issue at this juncture, Capt Amarinder Singh reiterated his government’s commitment to stand by victim families in this hour of grief by extending a helping hand in providing jobs, education, and other social security benefits to them.
Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar, without mincing any words, said that this tragedy was an outcome of criminal negligence and merits exemplary punishment to the perpetrators of this crime.
SAD TERMS CM’s TARN TARAN VISIT AS A ‘PHOTO OP’-CUM-JOY RIDE
Terming Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s visit to Tarn Taran police lines as a mere photo op-cum-joy ride, the SAD condemned him for failing to visit the hooch tragedy victim families besides sharing the stage with Congress MLAs who were accused of being responsible for the tragedy.
Demanding immediate dismissal of Congress Government during a protest while proceeding towards Raj Bhawan before being arrested, senior SAD leaders Balwinder Singh Bhundur and Bikram Singh Majithia said that the Chief Minister made a show of visiting victim families when the truth was that he paid a 20-minute visit to the police lines in Tarn Taran which were turned into an army Cantonment as the Congress Government feared a backlash from the people.
“People were summoned to be present like they are in a Durbar due to which a large number of them refused to come despite intense pressure from SPs and DSPs deputed specifically for this purpose. The Chief Minister also refused to visit Amritsar and Batala — the two other sites of the hooch tragedy — making it clear that he was just going through the motions and that poor and dalit lives don’t matter to him,” they said.
The two leaders, who were flanked by relatives of victims from Muchal village in Amritsar, said that it was reprehensible that the Chief Minister made MLAs, against whom murder charges should be pressed for being responsible for distributing spurious liquor, sit on the stage.
“How can a free and fair inquiry be held into horrific tragedy if the Chief Minister is himself shielding the accused in this manner?” the leaders asked.
They said instead of humiliating victim families by behaving like a feudal lord, the Chief Minister should have visited them and announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh and a government job for each family.