Probe panel asks public to share info on stampede
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Jan 2: Amid enhanced security arrangements and deployment of additional staff, pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine is going on smoothly as devotees seemed unfazed by the New Year stampede incident that left 12 pilgrims dead and several injured.
Official sources told the Excelsior that 48000 pilgrims had paid their obeisance at the sanctum sanctorum till 6 PM today since yesterday’s incident of stampede near the Bhawan.
“In the last 12 hours since 6 AM today, 15 thousand pilgrims have visited the holy cave shrine and the Yatra is going on smoothly with the cooperation of pilgrims, who are also satisfied over the arrangements,” said a senior officer of the Shrine Board.
Twelve people had lost their lives and 16 others were injured, some of them seriously in the stampede in the early hours of Saturday after a purported scuffle between two groups of pilgrims and subsequent cane-charging by some cops deployed at the site during the New Year rush.
The yatra was briefly suspended for about an hour following the first ever incident of stampede at the shrine that took place near a relatively narrow passage at Gate number 3 around 2.30 AM on Saturday.
Unfazed by the incident of stampede, pilgrims were as usual queuing up at the registration counters, eagerly waiting for their turn to offer prayers at the Darbar.
Motiya Rani (58), a resident of Panipat in Haryana, accompanied by her two sons, their wives and five grandchildren, said the yatra was going on smoothly and they did not face any problem. “I have been visiting Mata to seek her blessings on the first day of every year for many years. I reached Katra on December 31 and was scheduled to visit the shrine on Saturday but the unfortunate incident delayed our visit by a day this time,” she said.
Another pilgrim from Uttar Pradesh, said that postponing the pilgrimage never came to mind after hearing about the sad incident. “What happened yesterday was an unfortunate incident. We have been waiting for this day for a long time and are happy to reach here to offer our prayers and seek the blessings of Mata Rani,” he said.
Besides enhancing the security arrangements, authorities have also deployed additional staff to ensure strict adherence of COVID-19 guidelines.
Meanwhile, the Government has invited the people to share facts, statements or electronic evidence regarding the tragic incident of stampede at Mata Vaishno Devi shrine on January 1.
A public notice in this regard was issued today by Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Raghav Langer, who is one of the members of the committee constituted by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to probe the incident.
“It is for the information of the general public that any person who desires to furnish any facts, statements, electronic evidence etc regarding the incident may share the same on the email id divcomjmu-jk@nic.in or Whatsapp number 09419202723 or landline number 0191-2478996 by or before 05-01-2022. Any person who desires to meet in person, may appear before the said Enquiry Committee in person between 11 am and 1 pm on January 5 in the office of Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, to furnish any statements/facts/evidence,” read the notice.
The three-member inquiry panel, headed by Principal Secretary (Home) Shaleen Kabra, with Additional Director General of Police Mukesh Singh as the other member, has been asked to submit its report within a week.
Meanwhile, reports from SMVD Narayana Superspecialty Hospital said that condition of all the five injured, who were still undergoing treatment, was stable even as four of them were on ventilator.
Those on ventilator, included Shivani of Delhi, Adhaya Mahajan of Channi Himmat, Himanshu of Jaipur, Rajasthan and Ratnesh Pandey of Noida. They have been diagnosed of Polytrauma head injury.
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