Patna: Bihar’s director general of police Vinay Kumar has acknowledged “gross negligence” in the deployment of police personnel at a Nalanda temple, where a stampede left nine people dead, including eight women.
The incident occurred at the Sheetla Mata temple in Nalanda district, where a large number of devotees had gathered. One man later died in hospital, taking the death toll to nine.
After visiting the site, Kumar said the failure to deploy adequate police forces despite the scale of the gathering was a serious lapse. He noted that the temple is a major religious centre that routinely attracts thousands of devotees, and that robust security arrangements should have been in place from the outset.
“Approximately 25,000 people were present at the time of the incident, yet there were insufficient arrangements to manage the crowd,” he said.
The DGP also raised concerns about safety conditions within the temple complex, pointing to slippery stairs that heightened the risk of accidents and deficiencies in entry and exit routes that hampered effective crowd movement.
He criticised the temple administration, saying that management must prioritise the safety of devotees over organisational and financial aspects. Referring to discussions with temple trust chairman Ranvir Nandan, Kumar said stronger crowd management protocols and security measures were now imperative.
Kumar further highlighted the absence of basic amenities at the site, including inadequate medical support, lack of drinking water facilities and poor queue management systems. He warned that such lapses can lead to major tragedies if left unaddressed.
The DGP said an FIR would be registered based on CCTV footage and assured that strict action would be taken against those found responsible. He added that lessons from the incident would be used to strengthen safety and security arrangements at similar religious sites in the future.
