Tripura: Death toll of chariot tragedy rises to 10

Agartala:Another housewife injured in the Tripura chariot tragedy on June 28 last in Kumarghat of Unokoti district died on Saturday in Delhi, bringing the death toll to 10 so far.However, there is no action against anybody as of now, despite lodging a specific case with the police.

The officials here said the deceased, identified as Ruma Sarkar Ghosh (35), was one of the 20 injured people after a chariot caught fire touching a high-voltage electricity line on the National Highway during the procession of Phera Rath, symbolising the return of Lord Jagannath in the chariot.

Altogether, seven people, including three children and three women, were burned alive on the street. Ruma’s 4-year-old daughter succumbed to the injury on the way to the hospital in Agartala a few hours after the accident. Ruma and her 9-year-old daughter Diya Ghosh were among the injured and were shifted to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi a week ago following the deterioration of their condition.

The husband of the deceased, Goutam Ghosh, had cremated the body of his youngest daughter exactly a month ago in Kumarghat, when his wife and eldest daughter had been fighting for survival in Agartala Govt Medical College. A month later, he cremated the body of his wife in a crematorium in Delhi and rushed to his eldest daughter in the hospital, who is also stated to be critically ill, family sources said.

Two days ago, another injured housewife, Draupadi Malakar (32), a resident of the 91-mile area of Kumarghat, succumbed to her injuries in a hospital in Guwahati. Her 6-year-old son had died in the same incident on the spot.

Meanwhile, the Leader of the Opposition, Animesh Debbarma, demanded a high-level probe into the incident and immediate relief of Rs 20 lakh to each of the deceased families and Rs 10 lakh for each of the injured persons. He alleged that the local BJP MLA, Bhagaban Das, was involved in the planning and design of the chariot and even changed the route at the last moment without the consent of the administration.

Two days after the incident, Pancham Das, whose brother Rupak Das (40) and nephew Rohan Das (9) were burned alive on the street, along with five others, filed a complaint against the organiser, and the police registered a case under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code, but surprisingly, there has been no progress in the investigation.

"Police kept mum, not even serving any notice to the accused, even after the deaths of 10 innocent lives. I am surprised by the role of the state government, the human rights commission, and other rights bodies. Have they planned to save the criminals who were responsible for such a disaster?" Das questioned, adding that the ongoing magisterial inquiry into the tragic incident is nothing but an eye-wash to protect the criminals.(UNI)