The Andhra Pradesh police are yet to make any progress in the Godavari Pushkaralu stampede at Pushkar ghat which claimed 28 lives.

According to a report in Deccan Chronicle, the police have examined 180 persons including government officials, devotees and families of the deceased to recreate the scene.

Initial feedback suggests that the number of devotees lined up outside the barricades leading to the ghat on July 14 was normal until 6:30 am.

A preliminary report written by East Godavari district collector H Arun Kumar that was forwarded to the Union Home ministry and State Human Rights Commission had said that a "heavy influx of pilgrims started increasing as time passed by and at around 8:30 am, the crowd from all directions started breaching the barricades set up for crowd control."

The report also mentioned a point that brought up the question if the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and top police officers were also in some way culpable for the tragedy that unfolded at the ghats.

The report noted "Chief Minister along with other VIPs and other VVIPs took the first holy dip in the river Godavari at about 6:26 am in the Pushkar ghat."

Many people had questioned Naidu's intentions to inconvenience and hold up the thousands of people waiting at the entrance of the gate by taking a dip at the Pushkar ghat, while there was a separate designated Saraswati ghat for VIPs, keeping in mind security concerns.  

Naidu was also accompanied by a film crew who were shooting a documentary for more than an hour even as the crowd waited outside.

YSR Congress chief and opposition leader Jagan Mohan Reddy, called it “a gimmick and publicity stunt” on the part of the Chief Minister to have taken a dip at the Pushkar ghat instead of the VIP ghat."

“We have been examining a large number of persons including government officials, NG-Os and those who were present...Once we complete the enquiry, we will submit the report,” Rajahmundry Urban DSP (Central) J. Kulasek-har told DC.