Gwalior temple tragedy: Shrine panel suspects ‘terror attack’, demands SIT probe; death toll rises to 16 | Bhopal News
The temple committee announced financial assistance of Rs 50,000 to the family of each deceased victim and Rs 10,000 to each injured person.
BHOPAL: The management committee of Sheetla Mata Temple at Satau village in Gwalior has demanded a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into what it suspects could be a planned terror attack, after a truck ran over devotees and shopkeepers at the temple fair early Sunday, killing 16 people and injuring around 40 others.In an official statement issued on October 18, temple committee chairman Rajendra Singh Gurjar questioned how a heavy vehicle entered the crowded fairground around 1.30 am despite an alleged ban on the entry of such vehicles.“If heavy vehicles were prohibited from entering the fair, how did the truck reach the venue?” the committee asked, alleging serious lapses in security and crowd management.The committee said investigators should examine the possibility of a deliberate conspiracy targeting the religious gathering and demanded an impartial SIT probe to establish the circumstances behind the tragedy. It also sought strict action against anyone found responsible for negligence or involvement in a conspiracy.The terror angle is an allegation raised by the temple committee; no evidence establishing a terrorist attack or a planned conspiracy was cited in its statement.The committee said devotees and shopkeepers associated with it had joined relief and rescue efforts immediately after the incident.The temple committee announced financial assistance of Rs 50,000 to the family of each deceased victim and Rs 10,000 to each injured person.Gurjar said the incident was tragic and demanded that the administration establish accountability for any lapses that allowed the truck to reach the crowded fairground.The committee called for a thorough investigation into vehicle access, security arrangements and the circumstances leading to the deaths and injuries, insisting that the victims’ families receive justice.
