Death toll in Kubereshwar Dham tragedy rises to 7; MP human rights panel orders probe

Following a stampede and multiple health-related deaths during a religious gathering at Kubereshwar Dham, the Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission has directed district authorities to submit a report within 15 days.

Bhopal: The death toll in the ongoing religious events at Kubereshwar Dham in Madhya Pradesh’s Sehore district rose to seven on Thursday, with two more devotees succumbing, officials said.

Anil (40), a resident of Khera Kala in Delhi, and Upendra Gupta (22), from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, died during the day while participating in the rudraksha distribution and Kanwar Yatra, said Sehore district public relations officer Devendra Ogare. Doctors confirmed that both men died of heart attacks, he added.

The deaths come days after a stampede-like situation unfolded during the distribution of rudrakshas in Chitawaliya Hema village at Kubereshwar Dham, a religious site associated with preacher Pradeep Mishra (48), a former schoolteacher turned spiritual leader.

The incident on Tuesday claimed the lives of Jaswanti Ben (56) from Rajkot in Gujarat and Sangeeta Gupta (48) from Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh.

A day later, three more fatalities were reported during a Kanwar Yatra event led by Mishra. The deceased were identified as Dilip Singh (57) from Raipur in Chhattisgarh, Chatur Singh (50) from Gujarat, and Ishwar Singh (65) from Rohtak in Haryana. According to Sehore Superintendent of Police Deepak Shukla, these individuals also died due to health-related complications.

In response to the rising death toll and concerns over crowd control, the Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission (MPHRC) on Wednesday directed Sehore’s collector and superintendent of police to conduct a detailed probe. Acting chairperson Rajiv Tandon has sought a report within 15 days, which must include information on crowd management strategies, medical assistance provided, and compensation to the families of the deceased.