Nalanda: Nine people have died in a stampede at the Sheetla Mata temple in Nalanda as newly surfaced CCTV footage appears to show devotees being beaten during the incident, intensifying concerns over crowd management and alleged misconduct by temple authorities.
The incident occurred on Tuesday amid heavy footfall on the final day of the Hindu month of Chaitra. Authorities have since launched an investigation, arresting four priests, suspending five police personnel and registering a FIR against 20 named individuals, including members of the temple management committee.
Footage from cameras installed at the site reportedly shows members of the local priestly community, often referred to as the “panda samaj”, using sticks against devotees in an attempt to control the crowd. Officials say such actions may have worsened panic among those gathered, contributing to the deadly crush.
Police have attributed the tragedy to alleged mismanagement and negligence. The inquiry has been assigned to Bimlesh Kumar, who will examine lapses in planning and security arrangements.
According to the complaint filed by a police officer at Deepnagar police station, the temple authorities failed to inform local officials in advance about the scale of the gathering or put adequate crowd-control measures in place. The complaint also alleges that obstructions were deliberately created near the sanctum to facilitate illegal payments from devotees seeking quicker access.
Witness accounts and initial findings suggest that some priests allowed entry through a rear gate in exchange for money, slowing the movement of people inside the temple. As a result, long queues formed outside, increasing pressure at the main entrance.
A rope barrier, tied between bamboo poles to regulate entry, eventually gave way under the strain of the crowd. As it snapped, a surge of people rushed forward, leading to chaos and a stampede inside the temple premises.
The deaths have prompted public anger and scrutiny of both temple authorities and local police, with questions mounting over accountability and the adequacy of safety measures at religious gatherings.
