Temple stampede in Madhya Pradesh, collector and 3 other officials suspended

Datia/New Delhi: The Collector of Datia and three other top district officials were suspended by the Madhya Pradesh government on Monday over the alleged lapse in connection with the temple stampede in which the toll of dead rose to 115.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also announced setting up of a judicial commission to probe the stampede at Ratangarh temple in Datia district during Navratri festivities on Sunday, as a war of words broke out between Congress and the ruling BJP over the tragedy which has sparked an outrage.

Collector Sanket Bhondwe, SP CS Solanki, SDM Mahip Tejaswi and Subdivisional officer of police (SDOP) BN Basave were among those suspended.

The state government had earlier in the day recommended to the State Election Commission to suspend the four officials and the entire staff of Sevdha police station.

Sources in the EC in New Delhi said the permission to suspend the officials was granted to the state government. The decision to suspend the four top district officials was taken after Chouhan visited Datia on Monday to review the situation and prima facie found them and policemen guilty of a major lapse that led to the stampede which also left over 100 injured.