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The temple founder stated that he did not inform the police because he thought everything would be normal and the puja would be performed as usual. He also said that he did not expect such a large crowd.
Temple founder asserts he bears no responsibility for tragedy
Amaravati: Following the death of nine devotees in a stampede at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh, temple founder Mukunda Panda stated that he was not responsible for the accident. He said that devotees moved forward on their own, leading to the incident.
'Nine people died, many injured in the stampede'
The temple founder stated that he did not inform the police because he thought everything would be normal and the puja would be performed as usual. He also said that he did not expect such a large crowd. On Saturday, a stampede occurred at this temple in Srikakulam district, killing nine people, including eight women and a child, while several others were injured. The temple was built by priest Mukunda Panda on his own land.
"There was a huge crowd, I don't know what happened."
The incident occurred on the same day as Ekadashi and the Kartik month festival, so a large number of people had come to the temple for darshan. Temple priest Mukund Panda said, "What should I do if so many people come together? I usually send everyone in line, but yesterday there was a huge crowd. I don't know what happened, so I didn't inform the police."
"What should I do if such a situation arises?"
He added, "I didn't inform the police. I had the courage, and I told everyone to queue up. People had come for darshan. What could I do if they suddenly rushed and the situation became like this?" Panda said he was there until 3 p.m., trying to manage the crowd without eating. Later, police arrived and brought the situation under control.
According to a police officer, this Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple is a private institution and was operating without the necessary approvals. The organizers failed to follow safety rules. In this case, the police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
