The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in its camp sitting at Bhopal ordered compensation of more than `5.5 crore to the kin of more than 110 victims of Ratangarh Temple stampede in Datia district while acting on a petition filed by Odisha born rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy.
“There is 500 metres long and 10 metres wide bridge over Sindh, a tributary of the Yamuna River, leading to the historic Ratangarh temple in Datia district of Madhya Pradesh. The police resorted to lathi charge to control the pilgrims from jumping the queue which created an alarm and drove people in one direction, leading to sudden surge of the people on the bridge and this caused one of its railings to snap, which in turn created panic and a stampede ensued. More than 110 pilgrims, including women and children, died and more than 100 were injured. This incident took place on October 13 last year. The rescue teams from Gwalior, a mere 75-odd km away, were delayed due to battered roads and a 10-km long traffic jam. There were only nine constables and a sub-inspector manning more than one lakh people along the 500-metres long bridge when the stampede occurred,” Radhakanta alleged. He had requested the commission to conduct a thorough probe of the tragic incident and pay compensation to all the victims.
The NHRC team, led by its chairperson Justice KG Balakrishnan and comprising members Justice Cyriac Joseph, Justice D Murugesan, SC Sinha and senior officers, administered the hearings of the three-day open hearing and camp sitting at RCVP Noronha Academy of Administration, Bhopal.