'Devotees rushed on their own': Andhra Pradesh stampede probe deepens; Kasibugga temple founder denies responsibility

VISAKHAPATNAM: A day after the tragic stampede at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Kasibugga, Palasa mandal of Srikakulam district, in which nine devotees lost their lives, Andhra Pradesh police on Sunday barred public entry into the temple premises.

The incident, which occurred on Saturday (Nov 1) morning, claimed the lives of nine persons—including eight women and a 13-year-old boy—and left over 25 devotees hospitalised with limb fractures and breathlessness. The tragedy was compounded by the Ekadasi observance coinciding with the auspicious Karthika month, drawing thousands of devotees to the temple.


Srikakulam district police chief KV Maheswara Reddy told TOI that the temple has been closed to devotees from Sunday (Nov 2) in view of the incident. The stampede was triggered by the collapse of an iron railing near the temple steps, which caused panic among the crowd as devotees feared structural failure.

On Sunday, the bodies of the deceased were handed over to their families following post-mortem procedures. Two individuals who sustained serious injuries are undergoing treatment and are reported to be stable, while others have been discharged, Reddy added.

A special investigation team has been constituted to probe the incident from multiple angles and identify those responsible. Police confirmed that the temple organisers had not sought permission for crowd management or police protection prior to the event, despite the large turnout. As per protocol, all religious institutions are required to inform police in advance for crowd control measures.

Authorities noted that the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Kasibugga is a private establishment and has been operating without proper approvals for several months. Police said the organisers failed to adhere to basic safety protocols, contributing to the tragedy.

The temple's 94-year-old founder, Hari Mukunda Panda, has been placed under house arrest. Police are also questioning other individuals associated with the temple in connection with the incident.

Panda described the stampede as unfortunate and denied responsibility, stating that devotees rushed on their own. He admitted that he had not informed police, assuming the gathering would be routine and manageable. "Though we appealed to devotees to follow queue lines for darshan, they surged forward, leading to the tragic incident," Panda said.

DIG (Visakha Range) Gopinath Jatti on Sunday issued a warning against spreading misinformation on social media related to the tragedy. "Spreading false information online is a serious offence. We are collecting details of those posting such content and will take legal action based on their location," he said.

Endowments minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy visited the temple on Sunday and announced the formation of an advisory committee. He said a comprehensive safety checklist will be prepared for all temples—government and private alike. The decision on reopening the Kasibugga temple will be taken only after reviewing reports from relevant departments, he added.