Description
Days after a tragic accident that killed 36 people here, more than five bulldozers entered the Beleshwar Mahadev temple in Indore, Madhya Pradesh today to demolish an illegal construction. A large contingent of municipal officials and police went to the temple on Monday morning to make sure the action went off without disturbance. Personnel from four police stations were deployed to prevent any possible resistance. The deputy city commissioner, district judge and other officials are also present at the scene. The roof of the pit broke due to the weight of the crowd in the Ram Navami. A havan was running when the incident occurred.
Run by a private trust, the temple is located in Sneh Nagar, one of the oldest residential settlements in Indore.
The 200-year-old step was covered with four iron beams, a thin layer of concrete and tiles that could not bear the weight of the crowds that gathered to offer puja at Ram Navami.
The walls had gone up around the floor. A sheet metal shed was erected as the roof of the temple. The people gathered at the Shri Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal temple for a havan (ritual) did not know that the ground beneath their feet hid a deep well amidst rusty iron railings.
A police complaint has been filed against two officials of the temple trust. Two city officials were suspended for failing to eliminate illegal construction. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the families of the victims and Rs 50,000 to those injured in the freak accident and also ordered a master investigation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced compensation from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the families of the accident victims.
A tweet about the official handle of the Prime Minister's office read; "An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh (each) from the PMNRF would be given to the relatives of each deceased in the unfortunate tragedy in Indore today. The injured would receive Rs 50,000 (each): PM."
