KOCHI: The Assistant Commissioner of Police, Thrikkakara, on Monday informed the Kerala High Court that the police were not intimated about the music program at Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat), and the event was conducted without adequate security arrangements, precautions, and planning. This, said the report, ultimately led to the stampede that left four dead, including three engineering students, on November 25.
In a report, the police said that an unlimited number of persons were allowed entry to the auditorium without considering its capacity.
“While the auditorium can hold only 1,000 people, there were about 4,000 students on the Cusat Kalamassery campus alone. Students from other centres of Cusat, who came as part of the tech fest, and the residents also came to participate in the music program. That also led to increasing the rush in the auditorium,” said the report.
It also stated that there was a serious failure to inform authorities concerned about the number of participants and the mode of admission of participants to the auditorium. Apart from the main gate, there are two gates on the south and north sides of the auditorium to enter the auditorium. However, these two gates were locked, and the movement of women and men was restricted only through the main entrance.
This led to the rush and congestion at the entrance and thus created danger. Non-adherence to the schedule in the execution of the programme resulted in the accident. The music programme was scheduled to start at 7 pm. It was preceded by a rehearsal at 2.30 pm followed by the admission of only School of Engineering students, who were wearing the organiser’s black T-shirts till 5.30 pm, followed by students from other departments and the public from 5.30 pm to 6.30 pm and the entry was closed at 6.30. However, the organisers failed even to let SOE students inside in time. While starting the rehearsal at 6.30 pm with the laser lights, there was a misunderstanding among those waiting outside that the music programme had started, and a massive stampede occurred at the entrance as the crowd tried to enter the auditorium.
While Cusat itself has around 80 security personnel and security officers, the failure to appoint sufficient security personnel to control the crowd at the entrance to the auditorium and the failure to inform the police station concerned led to the accident.
The police also said that it has arraigned Deepak Kumar Sahoo, former principal of the School of Engineering, Cusat, and two teachers, Girish Kumaran Thampi and Dr N Biju, who were the chairperson, staff coordinator, and faculty treasurer, respectively, of the concert ‘Dhishna,’ as accused in the case. The report was filed in response to a petition filed by Aloshius Xavier, president of Kerala Students Union (KSU) seeking an impartial inquiry by a Judicial Commission into the stampede which claimed four lives.
The investigating officer said that a comprehensive probe is needed to find out the cause of the mishap and the police team is endeavouring to do that.
‘Construction flawed’
Defects in the construction of the amphitheatre also led to the accident, said the report. The floor of the auditorium is at a depth of 2.6m from the entrance. One has to descend 11 steps to reach ground level. The steps leading to the auditorium are not wide enough and lack handrails on either side. This added to the casualty.
The failure to provide adequate medical aid and emergency preparedness at the venue of the mega music programme attended by many people, also contributed to the gravity of the accident.