HYDERABAD: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed dissatisfaction with the report submitted by the Hyderabad police regarding the Sandhya Theatre stampede, in which a woman died and her son was severely injured and remains under treatment. As a result, the NHRC has directed the city commissioner of police to submit a more detailed report by June 13.
According to NHRC, Hyderabad City police had earlier submitted an action-taken report dated March 20. In that report, the police attributed the incident to inadequate infrastructure at the theatre, including limited parking space and insufficient entry and exit points, which led to a large crowd gathering. The police also stated that permission for the event had been denied, and both the theatre management and the actor involved did not have authorisation to conduct a roadshow.
However, the commission noted that several aspects of the report were incomplete or unclear, prompting the need for a more comprehensive account.
It questioned why the police allowed the crowd, the actor, and the theatre management to proceed with the event despite the lack of permission. It emphasised that the police should have taken legal action against the organisers at the outset, as the event was unlawful.
The NHRC further stated that the decision to deny permission must have been based on specific concerns, possibly related to safety. “Therefore, it cannot be said that such an accident was unforeseeable,” the Commission observed. “In the absence of permission, the event was unlawful. However, it is unclear whether the police warned the crowd, the management, or the actor to refrain from participating, or if they simply waited for an unfortunate incident to occur,” it further stated.
In light of these concerns, the NHRC has ordered a comprehensive report addressing all unanswered questions.
Speaking to TNIE, the complainant, Rama Rao Immaneni, confirmed that the NHRC is unsatisfied with the police report. “The commission has expressed doubts about several aspects and asked for clarification,” he said.