In the Siddheshwarnath Temple complex, located on the Barabar Hills in Jehanabad district, a stampede occurred early Monday morning, resulting in the death of eight devotees and injuries to more than two dozen others. The victims, primarily women aged between 20 and 45 years, hailed from rural areas of Jehanabad, Nalanda, and Patna. The majority of the injured are also women.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed his condolences and announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs. 4 lakh to the families of the deceased.
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Location of the Temple
Siddheshwarnath Temple, situated in Makhdumpur block of Jehanabad district, is a renowned temple where devotees from neighboring districts gather to offer water during the month of Sawan. The temple is located on the highest peak of the Barabar mountain range and is believed to be thousands of years old.
There are two paths to reach the temple complex. One path has steep stairs, attracting fewer devotees, while the other path is more accessible, leading to a higher footfall. Both paths converge about 200 feet before the temple, leading to a single route to the temple. The entire temple complex spans two to three katthas, with many local shops within the premises. This year, the crowd was much larger than usual.
The stampede has raised serious concerns about the police administration’s preparedness. Eyewitnesses and locals allege that only a dozen police officers were present to control the crowd, and the responsibility of managing the crowd was handed over to NCC cadets, leading to the tragic incident.
A local resident stated that devotees began arriving from distant places on Sunday evening, and the crowd swelled significantly by late night. An eyewitness informed ‘Main Media’ over the phone that the stampede occurred within the temple complex, where uncontrolled people fell and were trampled by the crowd.
He said, “By midnight, the temple complex was flooded with devotees. Vendors selling flowers and other worship materials also sat within the temple premises. Due to the large crowd, devotees leaned towards the vendors’ stalls, causing the vendors to get upset.”
A similar incident occurred, leading to an argument between the vendors and the devotees. “The argument escalated to the point where the vendors started assaulting the devotees, causing the stampede,” he added.
Another devotee mentioned that there was no administration present to quell the brawl between the devotees and the vendors, leading to the situation spiraling out of control. Police sources revealed that the vendor accused of assaulting and wielding a stick is being sought after.
“There Was No Crowd Control”
Local RJD MLA Kumar Krishna Mohan raised questions about the adequacy of security arrangements at the temple. He stated that had there been sufficient security, the stampede and loss of lives could have been avoided. “This is negligence on the part of the administration. The administration should ensure thorough preparations in the future to prevent such incidents,” he said.
A CPI (ML) Liberation investigation team visited the site after the incident and interacted with the victims. The party leaders stated that the crowd had swelled considerably by night, causing disruptions within the temple complex, but the absence of police administration led to the escalation, resulting in the stampede.
The investigation team found that the railings around the temple complex were not sturdy and the area was very limited, leading to chaos as the crowd increased.
The team has demanded a high-level inquiry into the incident and action against those responsible. They have also called for the development of basic facilities at the Siddheshwarnath Temple and the construction of a safe and accessible route to the temple.
Arwal MLA Mahanand Singh, who was part of the investigation team, said, “The administration carried out extensive publicity for the religious site and inaugurated it with great pomp, but made no arrangements for security.” “There is a large gathering during Sawan, and there is always a risk of an untoward incident, but the administration remained completely negligent,” he added.
He further stated, “There should have been a mobile hospital operational throughout Sawan to provide immediate treatment in case of any emergency. But there was no medical team or ambulance present. Had these arrangements been in place, some devotees could have been saved. The administration should learn from this incident, and if they do not make such arrangements, similar incidents could occur in the future.”
What the Police Administration Said
However, the district administration denied allegations of negligence. In a conversation with the media, Jehanabad DM Alankrita Pandey said, “Preliminary investigations have revealed that a dispute broke out among the Kanwariyas over something, leading to a scuffle, which then triggered the stampede.”
SP Arvind Pratap Singh stated that during the altercation, someone wielded a stick, creating a panic, causing the devotees to retreat and lose control, leading to the fall.
The district administration has formed an inquiry committee to investigate the incident, which will submit its report within three days. The DM said that the committee will be led by the ADM, and the report will be submitted within three days, based on which further action will be taken.
It is noteworthy that a week ago, nine Kanwariyas were electrocuted to death in Vaishali district when a DJ vehicle carrying them came in contact with a live wire.
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