Patna: The Bihar government today vowed to punish those responsible for “lapses” that led to the stampede at the historic Gandhi Maidan here on October 3, leaving 33 people dead and 29 injured.
The government has instituted an inquiry into the tragedy and it is being conducted by Home Secretary Amir Subhani and Additional Director General of Police, Headquarters, Gupteshwar Pandey.
“The state government is not going to spare anyone responsible for ‘lapses' that led to the stampede outside the Gandhi Maidan,” Water Resources Department Minister Vijay Chaudhary told PTI.
He said that the probe team would jointly hold a public inquiry at the district collectorate on October 7 to hear accounts of eyewitnesses and other people willing to depose.
The state government would also publish advertisements in newspapers appealing to the people to share information about the incident, he said.
On the lack of lighting arrangement at the venue on the day of the Dusshera festivity, Chaudhary said that the state government was aware of the matter, but would await the probe report to act.
He said that the injured were getting “proper treatment” in the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH).
PMCH Superintendent Dr Lekhindra Prasad said that seven of the injured had been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the facility.
The ADG (Headquarters) Gupteshwar Pandey said that the probe team had taken statements of the injured persons at the PMCH, magistrates and police officers deputed on duty for the Dusshera festival at Gandhi Maidan.
Pandey said that the probe would be completed within a week and a report would be submitted to the state government.
