Probe ordered into stampede incident

PNS|Vijayawada

The police have registered a case in connection with the death of eight persons in a stampede at Kandukur on Wednesday night. The stampede took place during the TDP chief Chandrababu road show and public meeting killing eight persons and injuring eight.

Guntur Range DIG Trivikrama Varma and Nellore SP Ch Vijaya Rao visited the spot of the stampede and later the hospital where the injured were undergoing treatment and spoke to them. As per the orders of state DGP KV Rajendranath Reddy, the Guntur Range DIG and SP started an enquiry into the incident and will submit a detailed report.

The DIG said that a DSP rank officer was appointed to investigate the case pertaining to Chandrababu’s Kandukur meeting. The district police had permitted the meeting between 3 PM and 7 PM, but the meeting went beyond the stipulated time. On the other hand, Chandrababu’s vehicle went towards a narrow road, subsequently, there was congestion for the people to adjust at the spot. When people surged forward to catch his glimpse, they fell on each other and some people fell into the drain. A detailed investigation will be conducted and sections will be altered later if necessary, said the DIG.

SP Vijaya Rao said Chandrababu took permission from the police to hold a meeting in the NTR circle in Kandukur, which is a large junction and there is no room for a stampede in that area. But, Chandrababu went beyond the permitted area which is the narrow road towards Vippagunta paving the way to the stampede. A case has been registered under section 174 CrPC upon receipt of the complaint from an injured named Vankadari Picchaiah.

The SP said that they recorded several deviations, which resulted in the mishap. There was no permission for firecrackers, but a large number of firecrackers were blasted at the meeting. A large sound system and bikes that were parked added to the congestion and subsequently the mishap. Kundukur police registered a case under section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and took up an investigation.

Meanwhile, the authorities handed over the bodies of the deceased to their family members after an autopsy on Thursday morning