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Police to submit initial report on Sabarimala stampede in 4 days
The special team of the Crime Branch of the Kerala police, which is investigating Friday's stampede that claimed 102 lives, will submit its initial report in four days.
The special team of the Crime Branch of the Kerala police, which is investigating Friday's stampede that claimed 102 lives, will submit its initial report in four days.
The team head SP S Surendran, who leads the Hurt and Homicide wing of the crime branch, said the report, including forensic findings, would be submitted to ADGP (Crime Branch) Vinson M Paul in four days. The six member team visited the accident spot and took evidence.
Forensic experts also visited Pullumedu, where the mishap occurred, official sources said.
Besides the Crime Branch probe, the Kerala government has also announced a judicial inquiry into the mishap which occurred when devotees were heading home after witnessing 'makara jyoti', considered as a divine light that flickers across the eastern horizon after the 'arti' at the Lord Ayyappa temple.
Initial reports stated that a minor accident involving a jeep and an autorickshaw led to a commotion triggering the stampede.
Police on Sunday denied reports that sufficient contingents of personnel were not deployed along the Pullumedu route. Police also claimed that the area, being part of the Periyar Tiger Reserve, was the responsibility of the Forest Department with respect to arrangements for pilgrims.
Meanwhile, six more bodies at Kumali hospital had been indetified and arrangements made for sending them to their respective hometwons. Most of them were from Tamil Nadu. Now the identity of four more victims remains to be asecertained, hospital sources said.
