Telangana BC panel orders inquiry into infant’s death at Kummera Mallanna Jatara

Hyderabad: Telangana Backward Classes Commission has ordered an inquiry into the death of a two-month-old infant during the Kummera Mallanna Jatara and allegations that some devotees were denied entry to the temple, seeking detailed reports from the authorities concerned.Taking serious note of the incident, the commission directed the Nagarkurnool district collector to submit a comprehensive account of the events that led to the infant's death at the jatara venue. The report must detail crowd management arrangements, availability of medical facilities, response time of officials, and any administrative lapses, it said.
The National Human Rights Commission has already registered a case over the death of the infant. Chakali Chandrakala, her son Ganesh, and other members of her family visited the temple for darshan during the jatara when the incident occurred on Feb 18. The family, belonging to an OBC community, alleged that they were stopped at the entrance and denied entry. During the ensuing scuffle, the infant was allegedly assaulted, sustaining critical injuries. The child was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to the injuries on Feb 21. The BC commission also asked the commissioner of the endowments department to file a separate report on allegations of denial of temple entry. The department has been instructed to clarify the management practices followed during the festival, including entry regulations, crowd control measures, and whether any discriminatory restrictions were imposed on devotees. Both authorities have been given three days to submit their reports. The commission said the findings will be scrutinised to fix accountability and determine whether the incident involved negligence or violations of established norms. The probe aims to ensure transparency in the organisation of large religious gatherings and to safeguard the safety and rights of devotees attending such events across the state.