New Delhi, 26th August, 2015

The National Humanr Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that 10 devotees were killed and 70 injured in a stampede at Baba Baidyanath Dham temple in Deoghar, Jharkhand when thousands of pilgrims had queued up to offer water on the Shivalinga on second somvar-cum-ekadashi in the early hours of 10th August, 2015. Reportedly, a group of kanwariyas tried to force themselves forward and a policeman used his stick to disperse them resulting in a stampede.
The Commission has observed that the incident, if true, raises serious questions of violation of human rights of the victims and shows ineptness of the police force. Accordingly, a notice has been issued to the Director General Police, Jharkhand, calling for a detailed report in the matter within four weeks.
According to the media report the eyewitnesses alleged that erratic behaviour of security personnel controlling the crowd and darkness were factors behind the tragedy. The local MLA reportedly stated that police constables who manage the crowd are not trained to handle them. They do not know how to behave with devotees and do not understand their mood.
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