Following the stampede in Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam district, Superintendent of Police (SP) KV Maheswara Reddy said that a case has been registered against the temple management.
A case has been registered against the temple’s founder, Hari Mukunda Panda, under
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 106 (causing death by negligence).
At least 10 people lost their lives in a tragic stampede at the Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Kasibugga in Srikakulam district during the Ekadashi celebrations on November 1 after a massive gathering of devotees led to chaos and panic.
“As the devotees attempted to escape in panic after the railing was damaged, the accident ensured,” KV Maheswar told The Hindu adding that two other people injured in the stampede are in critical condition.
According to media reports, the Venkateswara Swamy Temple, also referred to locally as ‘Mini Tirupati’, is a privately built shrine that was inaugurated just four months ago. The temple, which is not managed by the state’s Endowments Department, reportedly held a large-scale gathering without prior approval from authorities.
Government officials said that the section of the premises where devotees had gathered was still under construction, and that the temple had only a single entry and exit point. The situation turned chaotic when the steel railings collapsed under pressure from the surging crowd.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the families of those who died, and Rs 50,000 each for the injured.
(With IANS inputs)