Eight women are dead, several others remain hospitalised, and the administration in Bihar’s Nalanda district is now facing serious questions about how a religious gathering was allowed to turn fatal.
The tragedy unfolded on Tuesday at the Sheetla Mata Temple in Maghra village, a day that regularly draws large numbers of devotees for special prayers. As the crowd surged inside the temple premises, panic broke out, and a deadly stampede followed. All eight of those killed were women. Several others sustained injuries, many of whom are still receiving treatment.
The response from the administration has been swift. Following preliminary findings that pointed to serious security lapses, Nalanda Superintendent of Police Bharat Soni suspended the Station House Officer of Deepnagar Police Station, Rajmani, with immediate effect. Four other police personnel have also been suspended for dereliction of duty.
Initial investigations revealed alarming gaps in crowd management on the day of the incident. The temple premises were left largely unmanaged, with security responsibility resting entirely on a single watchman. Senior officials were not informed in time despite mounting crowd pressure, a failure that investigators say allowed the situation to spiral out of control before any meaningful intervention could take place.
A Special Investigation Team has been constituted to examine the incident in full. Led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police, the SIT is looking into crowd control arrangements, the deployment of security personnel, and communication failures within the police system. Patna Range Inspector General Jitendra Rana visited the site as part of the inquiry. The administration has assured that strict action will be taken against all those found responsible.
The deaths have sparked widespread anger among local residents and the families of the victims, who have accused the administration of negligence. The sentiment on the ground reflects a broader frustration that a tragedy of this kind, at a well-attended religious site on a known high-footfall day, should not have been allowed to happen.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed deep grief over the incident and announced financial compensation for the families of the deceased. Each family will receive Rs 6 lakh, Rs 4 lakh from the Disaster Relief Fund, and Rs 2 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. Kumar also assured that all injured persons are receiving proper medical care at the government’s expense.
(With IANS inputs)
