Deogarh Deputy Commissioner, SP suspended after temple stampede kills 50

Jharkhand CM Raghuvar Das on Monday suspended Deoghar Deputy Commissioner and SP following the stampede that killed eleven people.

Ranchi: Deoghar Deputy Commissioner and SP were suspended on Monday following the stampede that killed eleven people.

Civil Surgeon was also suspended after the temple tragedy.

"The DC and SP have been suspended with immediate effect due to negligence of duty," Jharkhand Home Secretary NN Pandey said, as per PTI.

The decision was taken by the state government after a high-level committee made an on-the-spot inquiry into the circumstances leading to the incident at Belabagan in the temple town, he said.

Dumka Superintendent of Police Vipul Shukla has been transferred to Deogarh as SP and the Managing Director of Jharkhand Urja Vikas Nigam Limited, Rahul Purwar, has been sent as deputy commissioner.

At least 11 people were killed and 50 others injured in a stampede at a temple in Deoghar town early Monday, police said. 

Over 100,000 people were in a queue, many waiting since Sunday night to get into the famous Baidyanath Temple, when the stampede took place, as per IANS.

During 'Shravan' month of the Hindu calendar, more than 30 lakh people offer prayers at the Baidyanath temple.

On Mondays, the number goes up substantially and around two lakh people offer prayers.

The Jharkhand government has announced a compensation of Rs.2 lakh each to the kin of victims and Rs.50,000 to injured, an official said and the CM has ordered a high level probe into the incident.

Among the dead were kanwariyas or Shiv devotees clad in saffron who undertake the ritual of offering holy water, brought from River Ganges, at the temple after trekking long distances, as per PTI.

The government also opened helpline numbers - 06432-232299/240577/232295/291274.

Besides announcement of compensation by the government for the victims, the Baba Mandir Management Board has also announced Rs one lakh each for the kin of the dead and 25,000 each for the injured.

(With Agency inputs)