Indian authorities suspend six officials over mass panic that left 121 dead

The local government in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh suspended six officials on Tuesday over a stampede that left 121 people dead last week, officials said.

The officers, policemen and district officials were suspended after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) submitted its report pointing out lapses by the local administration in handling the incident involving a Hindu preacher.

The officials were accused of “negligence.”

The report accused the organisers and local authorities, including the police, of negligence and failed to make adequate arrangements at the venue in Hathras district.

It was said that they did not take the event seriously.

According to local media reports, the SIT report was submitted to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

The SIT also pointed out that overcrowding was a cause of the mass panic.

The report is based on statements from 125 people, including witnesses, survivors, police and district officials. News reports, photographs and video footage were also examined.

So far, nine people have been arrested in connection with the stampede, including the main organizer Devprakash Madhukar.

The findings of the commission investigating the incident said that the organizers told police that they expected 80,000 people to attend the event, but in reality only about a quarter of a million people showed up.

Police believe the organizers deliberately underestimated the number, possibly to have fewer restrictions on holding the event and to avoid additional security measures for the crowd.

AP Singh, a lawyer for the preacher, denied any wrongdoing by the organizers and told the media that the stampede was part of a conspiracy by some people who opened cans of a poisonous substance in the crowd.

However, he did not identify anyone.

The panel reportedly did not rule out “the possibility of a major conspiracy behind the accident,” but said further investigation was needed.

According to initial reports, the stampede at the event was triggered by people running after the preacher’s departing car and pushing each other to seek his blessing and get a closer look at him.

(Xinhua/NAN)