Tirupati stampede: Andhra CM Naidu orders judicial probe; three officials transferred, two suspended
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu orders judicial inquiry and suspends officials after a stampede at Tirupati temple claims six lives and injures dozens.
FollowTirupati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has ordered a judicial inquiry following the devastating stampede at the Tirupati temple that claimed six lives and injured dozens. Along with this, three senior officials, including the district Superintendent of Police, have been transferred. Naidu has also ordered the suspension of two officials, including a DSP, for their dereliction of duty.
The suspended officials are DSP Raman Kumar, who was in charge of that point, and S V Gosala director Dr Harinath Reddy. TTD joint executive officer K Goutami, SP Subbarayudu, and CVSO Sridhar have been transferred.
“Deputy SP Raman Kumar displayed utter lack of responsibility when he asked the gates at Padmavathi Park to be opened to evacuate a woman suffering from breathing problems,” CM Naidu said, adding, “He is a senior police officer. He should have assessed the situation better… What happened was that devotees who were at the back thought the gates had been opened and tickets were being issued, and they tried to rush out, which caused the stampede. Any mistake, done knowingly or unknowingly, which results in deaths, cannot be forgiven.”
During a press conference, Naidu expressed his grief and announced compensation for the victims' families, including Rs 25 lakh for the kin of the deceased and Rs 2 lakh for those injured. He also acknowledged that the new token system introduced by the previous regime may have contributed to the chaos.
"In the past, so many problems have come up. We are correcting everything, starting with prasadam (consecrated food), annadanam (free food to devotees), even cottages, administration and everything. All of a sudden this incident happened.
This incident also happened due to a legacy problem. Never in my lifetime tokens were given in Tirupati for 'darshan' (to see the deity). For the last five years, they (YSRCP) introduced new practices," Naidu said.
The stampede occurred on Wednesday night at Bairagi Patteda near MGM School in Tirupati, where hundreds of devotees had gathered to obtain tickets for the 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple. The festival, which commences on January 10, drew devotees from across the country.
Naidu noted that there were loopholes in the administration and monitoring mechanisms in Tirupati, which should have been more robust. Earlier, the Chief Minister visited the hospital where the injured are undergoing treatment.
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