VIJAYAWADA: The State government has constituted the Commission of Inquiry headed by M Satyanarayana Murthy, former Andhra Pradesh High Court Judge, to probe the stampede at Padmavathi Park in Tirupati on January 8 during the distribution of Sarva Darshan tokens for Vaikunta Dwara Darshan, in which six pilgrims were killed.
The Commission of Inquiry set up under the Commissions of Inquiries Act, 1952 should complete its probe within six months from the date of assumption of charge, and submit its report to the government. Chief Secretary K Vijayanand issued an order on Wednesday, constituting the Commission of Inquiry.
The commission has been entrusted with the task of probing the circumstances leading to the stampede. It will also look into whether adequate arrangements were made for the distribution of Sarva Darshan tokens or not, and if it finds any lapses in the arrangements, the officials responsible for it will be identified to initiate action against them.
The commission should also suggest measures to prevent such incidents in the future and can make any other recommendations with respect to the institutional mechanism to ensure the safety and security of pilgrims visiting Tirumala and Tirupati.
Following the stampede, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan visited Tirupati to oversee relief operations. The Chief Minister announced that a judicial inquiry will be conducted into the stampede to ascertain the reasons for the untoward incident.