Amritsar, November 2: Punjab Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday failed to appear before the one-man commission conducting an inquiry into the Amritsar train tragedy in which 60 people were killed on October 19. Sidhu's wife, Navjot Kaur, who was also summoned by the commission, however, appeared on Friday and gave her statement.

Sidhu, who was present in Amritsar on Friday, later held a press conference and justified his absence. "I wrote to him (probe commissioner) that I was not in Punjab from October 16-20. So there are no inputs that can actually add to your proceedings," Sidhu told the media. Senior IAS officer B. Purushartha, who is conducting the magisterial inquiry in Amritsar, had asked the Sidhu couple to appear before the commission on November 2. Amritsar MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu 'Adopts Families of Those Killed in Train Tragedy'.

Regarding Sidhu not appearing before the inquiry commission, Navjot Kaur told the media after appearing before the commission at the Improvement Trust building that "He is at home only. He had a programme to distribute cheques (to families of victims of the train tragedy). He has sent whatever statement he wanted to make (to the commission)." Navjot Kaur, a former legislator and ex chief parliamentary secretary, was the chief guest at the Dussehra festival near Joda Phatak when the DMU (diesel multiple unit) train crushed those standing on the railway tracks. Sixty people lost their lives and an equal number were injured in the train tragedy.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 02, 2018 05:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).