Carmel school tree tragedy: Magisterial panel subsumed into Justice Jitendra Chauhan committee
A week after a 250-year-old heritage tree collapsed inside Carmel Convent School, Sector 9, killing one 16-year-old and leaving several other injured, the UT Administration on Friday said that the magisterial committee formed to investigate the incident will be subsumed into the one-man probe panel that is being headed by Justice (retired) Jitendra Chauhan.
The UT Administration had been facing flak from several quarters after it had set up a three-member committee to probe the July 8 Carmel school tree collapse tragedy. The panel, appointed by Chandigarh Deputy Commissioner, Vinay Pratap Singh, then comprised the SDM (Central) of the UT, executive engineer of horticulture, and the range forest officer of the Chandigarh forest department. The panel had been asked to submit its report within a week. Several residents had then expressed doubts as to how the administration would investigate itself as those in the committee are supposed to be the protectors of the tree. Later, the administration on July 12 had appointed a second one-man committee, comprising Justice Chauhan, to conduct a probe, which was to run parallel to the magisterial committee.
Prodded about if the magisterial panel had submitted its report, which was due today (July 15), Deputy Commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh confirmed, тАЬThe committee of Justice Chauhan will submit the final report and the magisterial committee has been subsumed into the retired High Court Judge panel.тАЭ
As per reports, Justice Chauhan has been tasked by the administration to ascertain the facts in the case, fix responsibility and suggest remedial action, if any, that ought to be taken.
On Wednesday, the UT Home Secretary had notified the appointment of Justice Chauhan probe committee.
