Hyderabad
The police in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur on Monday booked a criminal case against the promoter of Vuyyuru Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, in connection with the stampede in which three people died and 13 others were injured at an event attended by Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday night, officials said.
A police official at Nallapadu police station said though a case was registered under Section 174 of Criminal Procedure Code (suspicious death) initially on Saturday night, the first information report (FIR) was later modified with the addition of Section 304 (ii) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and Section 34 (criminal act by multiple people with common intention) of Indian Penal Code.
“The case was registered against Vuyyuru Srinivas, a non-resident Indian (NRI) heading the NGO, and his associates based on the complaint lodged by victims’ family members,” the police official said.
Officials said Srinivas has been detained for questioning and he might be formally arrested and produced before the court on Tuesday.
The stampede occurred at a ground near JKC College at Vikas Nagar in Guntur town, where Vuyyuru Foundation organised distribution of Sankranti gifts and clothes to the poor.
The incident took place soon after the TDP chief left the place after addressing the gathering and distributing gifts to a few people. While one woman died on the spot, two others succumbed at the government general hospital.
{{/usCountry}}The incident took place soon after the TDP chief left the place after addressing the gathering and distributing gifts to a few people. While one woman died on the spot, two others succumbed at the government general hospital.
{{/usCountry}}The deceased were identified as: Gopidesi Rama Devi(50), Syed Atifa (45) and Shaik Bibi Jaan (50). Four others are undergoing treatment at a private hospital and others who received simple injuries are undergoing treatment at the government hospital.
The police handed over the bodies of the deceased to the family members after conducting the post mortem on Monday.
According to the police official quoted above, the organisers had informed the local police that they had made arrangements for distribution of gifts and sarees to around 10,000 people, but the turnout was nearly 15,000. “As there were only a few counters for distribution of gifts, the organisers could not handle the crowd resulting in the stampede,” he said.
Vuyyuru Foundation announced an ex-gratia of ₹20 lakh each to the families of the deceased. It will also bear the expenses towards treatment of the injured, Srinivas said in a statement.