U.P.: Former DGP-led panel to probe Bankey Bihari temple incident

Two member-committee headed by Sulkhan Singh to probe lapses, suggest changes; will submit report within 15 days

The state government on Sunday set up a two-member committee under former Uttar Pradesh director general of police (DGP) Sulkhan Singh to probe lapses and reasons for the incident at Bankey Bihari Temple in Vrindavan in which two people had died due to heavy crowd pressure on Janmashtami a couple of days ago.

The incident took place during “Mangla Aarti” at the temple on Janmashtami. (HT file photo)

Seven others had fainted and were admitted to Vrindavan hospital. The committee will submit its report within 15 days. It will also suggest corrections and measures to be taken to control crowd pressure to avert such incidents in future. The incident took place during ‘Mangla Aarti’ at the temple on the intervening night of August 19-20. “Mangla Aarti” is usually organised in early hours of the day but it is a tradition to hold it after midnight on Janmashtami.

A home department official said the former DGP will be assisted by Aligarh divisional commissioner Gaurav Dayal as member. He said the order regarding the setting up of the committee was issued by additional chief secretary, home, U.P., Awanish Awasthi on Saturday night and its copy was sent to the chief minister’s office, DGP office and other concerned persons. The official said Awasthi mentioned in the order that the committee will submit its findings to the government within 15 days.

Sulkhan Singh, a 1980 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer who has superannuated, was the first DGP posted by chief minister Yogi Adityanath in April 2017 soon after formation of the BJP government in the state in March that year.

He continued on the post before retiring in December 2017 after getting three- month service extension in September 2017. He was considered a very upright and honest officer during his entire service period.

The order stated that the committee will probe the incident and the reasons for it by visiting the incident site. The committee will also suggest the changes and corrections required in its crowd management system to strengthen it further.

Earlier, reports had suggested that more devotees than could be accommodated were allowed inside the temple which led to several being getting suffocated and two of them died. There was a huge crowd on Janmashtami and besides those on the premises, many others thronged the lanes leading to the temple,” SSP, Mathura, Abhishek Yadav had said.