Indore temple tragedy: MP HC expresses displeasure over incomplete police probe

Indore: The Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday expressed displeasure on the incomplete probe into the temple tragedy on March 30 last year in which 36 persons died and directed police to complete its inquiry at least before the first anniversary of the incident.

The floor of Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal temple here, which had been built on a covered stepwell, collapsed on Ram Navami last year, killing 36 persons, including 21 women and several children.

"Neither the accused have been put on trial nor the departmental enquiry has been completed,' a division bench of Justices Justice Vivek Rusia and Anil Verma observed while hearing two Public Interest Litigations.

"The Station House Officer, Police Station Juni Indore, District Indore is directed to complete the investigation in the FIR. The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Indore of the concerned zone is directed to monitor the investigation and see that it should be completed at least before completion of one year from the date of the incident," the HC bench said.

A magisterial inquiry had held Indore Municipal Corporation officials guilty of negligence in performing their duty, with the report underlining that they had failed to protect the stepwell and had not marked or placed a signboard.

"It is very unfortunate that the above report was submitted by the executive magistrate on July 11, 2023 to the Indore Collector and the same was not brought to the knowledge of this court as well as the general public well within time," the HC bench said.

"This report was disclosed only when this court passed an order on November 28, 2023 by giving directions to submit the status of the enquiry report and the current status of the FIR. Now vide application dated December 30, 2023, this magistrate report has been filed. But the status report has not been filed in respect of the FIR," the bench observed.

It said assistant engineers PR Aroliya and Prabhat Tiwari were placed under suspension on March 31, a day after the incident and chargesheet was issued on May 10, 2023.

"Enquiry officers have been appointed but till then the departmental enquiry has not been completed in this matter," it noted.

On the petitioners' concern that wells and stepwells were closed following the tragedy, the HC asked for their reopening for public use.

It also directed the local civic body to clean them from time to time and carry on their maintenance.

'Bavadees' are an integral part of our cultural life and evidence of stepwells dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization between 2500-1700 B.C, the court observed.