Akhilesh orders judicial probe into Varanasi stampede

The stampede took place on the Rajghat bridge when a large number of followers of the Jai Gurudev cult, were on their way to a two-day camp at Domri village.

Twenty-five persons, including 20 women, died and scores were injured after a stampede broke out on a crowded bridge on the outskirts of Varanasi on Saturday. Photo: PTI

The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday night ordered a judicial probe into the Varanasi stampede after sharp criticism from Opposition parties which blamed the State machinery for the incident.

>Twenty-five persons, including 20 women, died and scores were injured after a stampede broke out on a crowded bridge on the outskirts of Varanasi on Saturday.

“Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has appointed a one-man judicial commission to probe the incident, Mani Prasad Mishra, secretary, Home Department said. A retired judge of the Allahabad High Court, Rajmani Chauhan will probe the stampede. He has two months to submit his report. Mr. Yadav had earlier ordered a magisterial probe into the incident.

The stampede took place on the famous Rajghat bridge between Varanasi and Chaudauli when a large number of followers of the Jai Gurudev cult, were on their way to a two-day camp at Domri village along the banks of the Ganga. Though the organisers were granted permission for around 3,000 people, the crowd way surpassed that figure, exposing the arrangements made by the district administrate. Rumours that the bridge ahead had collapsed compounded the confusion.

DGP Javeed Ahmed late on Saturday suspended five police officials, including SP City, SP Traffic and CO Kotwali Varanasi, for "gross negligence" in the incident, while a day later CM Yadav suspended with immediate effect Additional District Magistrate (city) Vindhyavasini Rai and city magistrate Varanasi Vijay Bahadur Singh. The officials were punished for for not making proper arrangement for the crowd, not keeping it under control, dereliction of duty, negligence and failing to maintain order, a government spokesperson said.

The State government announced Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia compensation to the kin of the dead and Rs 50,000 to those injured. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, MP from Varanasi, also sanctioned an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the victims’ kin and Rs 50,000 for the “seriously injured.”

Mr. Yadav later announced an additional compensation of Rs five lakh each to the kin of victims enrolled under the Samajwadi kisan insurance scheme. The injured would receive Rs 2.50 lakh for treatment. He deputed Minister of State Surendra Patel to oversee the rescue operations.

While BSP chief Mayawati had said the State government and the district administration should have made better police arrangements during such programmes, the BJP’s state unit blamed the “failure of the administrative machinery” due to the infighting within the SP for the incident.

Baba Jai Guru had a cult following, which included Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh and his brother Shivpal Yadav.

This June, the cult’s members were in news after one of Gurudev’s disciples Ramvriksh Yadav and his followers clashed with the police, who tried to clear their encroachment in Mathura’s Jawahar Bagh.