Former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on Saturday demanded for judicial enquiry by a sitting High Court judge over the ‘Ulta Rath’ tragedy of Kumarghat, in which seven devotees were killed and as many as 20 more suffered critical injuries due to electrocution.

After visited the incident spot and the houses of all deceased and injured persons at Kumarghat on Friday, Manik Sarkar accompanied by the convener of Left Front Narayan Kar and former minister Tapan Chakraborty urged upon the state government to institute a judicial inquiry into the ‘Ratha Yatra’ mishap in Kumarghat.

He said that all of them along with some local leaders and party MLAs reached Kumarghat on Friday and spoke to officials of various departments and common people.

“Already the Chief Minister has entrusted an inquiry into the incident to the DM(Unakoti) while the minister for power has directed the DGM, TSECL to conduct an inquiry and submit a report ;but intensity of the incident so big and painful, it will be perfect to conduct the enquiry by a sitting High Court judge with fastest process.

Sarkar said that the delegation met and spoke to families of those who had lost members to the tragedy and also to those whose members are admitted in hospital. He also demanded that the next of kin or eligible members of those who had been killed be given regular government jobs for their livelihood.

The compensation has been announced by the government for all victims and injured persons, but the state government has taken the total responsibility of all injured persons till their recovery as normal human beings, said Sarkar and also demanded free education to all children, who lost their father or mother in the tragic incident.

Experiencing the ground situation and statements made by different government officials including the SDM, police officers and authorities of Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL), it is clear that the diversion of route of the return ‘Rath’ and the abnormal height of the chariot and specially the iron made sharp and tall crown were responsible for tragedy.

He said, though local police started an investigation, but without judicial inquiry the main reason for this tragedy cannot be revealed.

Sarkar also demanded that the state government must put concrete measures and strict restrictions for such a kind of procession and religious festival, which involved thousands people by involving police, PDW and Power department, so in future such kind of incident can be averted.