Woman dies in stampede-like situation at religious place in MP

Police said over 20,000 vehicles got stuck in a traffic jam on Indore-Bhopal highway allegedly due to mismanagement and over 3,000 people fell ill or were injured due to the stampede-like condition

Updated on: Feb 16, 2023, 21:03:48 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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A woman from Maharashtra died and three women went missing in a stampede-like situation on the first day of the Rudraksh Mahotsav at Kubershwar Dham in Madhya Pradesh’s Sehore on Thursday, police said.

Over five lakh people reached Kubershwar dham in Madhya Pradesh’s Sehore on Thursday to collect Rudraksh being distributed by self-styled god man and spiritual story teller Pradeep Mishra. (HT Photo)

Over 20,000 vehicles got stuck in a traffic jam on Indore-Bhopal highway allegedly due to mismanagement and over 3,000 people, visiting the Dham, fell ill or were injured due to the stampede-like condition, police added.

According to police and district administration officials,over five lakh people reached Kubershwar dham to collect Rudraksh being distributed by self-styled god man and spiritual story teller Pradeep Mishra.

“Mangala Bai (50), a resident of Malegaon in Nashik, Maharashtra, suddenly fell ill. She fell down and died,” said Mandi police station assistant sub-inspecto,r Dharam Singh Verma.

“Three women from Bhilai in Chhattisgarh, Gangapur in Rajasthan and Buldhana in Maharashtra went missing and the family members have filed missing complaints at the police station,” he added.

The district administration and police officials are trying to manage the crowd along with 15,000 volunteers.

Meanwhile, Pandit Pradeep Mishra accused the administration for mismanagement.

Last year too, the programme was cancelled due to traffic jam at Indore-Bhopal Highway.

Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was also about to visit the programme but he cancelled his schedule after news of the mismanagement.

The superintendent of police (SP) and collector couldn’t be contacted for their comment despite repeated attempts.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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