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NDTV
07-08-2025
- NDTV
"Came For Faith, Leaving With Fear": 6 Die At Kubereshwar Dham Kanwar Yatra In Madhya Pradesh
What began as a spiritual pilgrimage for thousands of devotees has now turned into a tragic headline. In the last 72 hours, six people have lost their lives at Kubereshwar Dham in Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh, all amid a storm of administrative failure, mismanagement, and the collapse of basic infrastructure. Upendra (22) from Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur and Dilip Singh (57) from Chhattisgarh in Raipur are the latest to join the list of people who died during the pilgrimage. On Wednesday, two more devotees, Chatur Singh (50) from Panchwal, Gujarat, and Ishwar Singh (65) from Rohtak, Haryana, died during the Kanwar Yatra, joining Jaswanti Ben (56) from Rajkot and Sangeeta Gupta (48) from Firozabad, who died a day earlier on August 5. All six victims had journeyed to Kubereshwar with unwavering devotion, only to lose their lives in the chaos that awaited them. Their bodies now lie in the district hospital mortuary. The victims were among lakhs of devotees who arrived for the grand Kanwar Yatra organised by famed storyteller Pandit Pradeep Mishra. But the faith-driven fervor quickly turned into a logistical nightmare. Massive crowds, poor crowd management, and zero anticipation by the authorities led to stampedes, suffocating traffic jams, and complete breakdowns in basic amenities like drinking water, food, and sanitation. The Indore-Bhopal Highway, a major route for pilgrims, has been choked since Tuesday night. Vehicles have been stranded for hours. While the police had officially announced restrictions on heavy vehicles and alternative routes, these plans were either poorly executed or simply ignored. Thousands of pilgrims were left to navigate the heat, hunger, and exhaustion - a disaster waiting to happen. Even more disturbing is the sheer lack of preparedness by the Kubereshwar Dham Management Committee and the district administration. It appears that no realistic estimate was made about the crowd size. No adequate planning was in place. Devotees from Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, and across Madhya Pradesh kept pouring in. The result: no toilets, no clean drinking water, no proper security, and no crowd control. Speaking to NDTV, Cabinet Minister Govind Rajput admitted, "The crowd has grown much larger than expected. The system is falling short. I urge the administration to take control and ensure that such a tragedy doesn't repeat." But the minister's words feel hollow against the grim reality of bodies piling up and families shattered. Former Minister Dr Rajendra Singh of the Congress called it as it is: "Faith does not justify failure. Pandit Pradeep Mishra may choose to distribute Rudraksha or not; that's his choice. But who takes responsibility for the deaths? Rakhi is approaching how many families will tie it with one less brother this year?" Leader of the Opposition Umang Singhar added, "No one has the right to play with human lives in the name of religion. Everyone has a family. This should be a wake-up call for the government and organisers to act now." Despite repeated promises, the Samiti, which works with Pandit Mishra, has failed to deliver. It had assured arrangements for food, water, shelter, and order. What devotees found instead was filth, disorder, stampedes and death. "There was no water, no toilets, and they made us pay for food!" said one angry devotee, returning from the site. "The committee did nothing. Women were pushed, the elderly were falling down, and the police just watched. We came for faith. We are leaving with fear."
News18
05-08-2025
- General
- News18
Tragic accident: MP CM Mohan Yadav takes note of Kubereshwar Dham incident
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], August 5 (ANI): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has taken cognisance of a stampede-like rush at Kubereshwar Dham in Madhya Pradesh's Sehore on Tuesday, which resulted in the deaths of two women and injuries to several others. The Chief Minister has expressed sadness over the tragic accident and directed officials to ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future. CM Mohan Yadav has asked officials to take note of the incident and initiate necessary Chief Minister has emphasised the need for better arrangements to prevent similar incidents in the future.'I have received information. I have asked the officials to take note of it. It is a tragic accident. Arrangements will be made to ensure such incidents do not happen in the future," said CM Mohan Yadav on Tuesday while speaking to ANI. Earlier on Tuesday, two women were killed and several others were injured in a stampede-like rush at Kubereshwar Dham in Madhya Pradesh's Sehore. The incident occurred due to a massive crowd gathering ahead of the Kawar Yatra, which was expected to be led by devotional storyteller Pandit Pradeep Mishra on August was announced that the Kavad Yatra will take place in Kubereshwar Dham on August 6. Before this, a large crowd of devotees had already arrived at Kubereshwar Dham. The injured individuals were transferred to a hospital for appropriate medical care. Sehore Additional SP Sunita Rawat confirmed on a phone call with ANI about the tragic incident. This is not the first time a stampede has occurred at Kubereshwar Dham. A similar incident happened in February 2023 during the Shiv Mahapuran Katha and Rudraksh Mahotsav, raising concerns about crowd management and the preparedness of local authorities. (ANI)
NDTV
05-08-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
2 Dead, Several Injured In Stampede At Religious Event In Madhya Pradesh
Bhopal: Two women were killed and nearly a dozen others hospitalised after a stampede at the overcrowded Kubereshwar Dham in Madhya Pradesh's Sehore on Tuesday, just a day ahead of the much-publicised Kanwar Yatra led by storyteller Pradeep Mishra. The tragedy unfolded as a sea of devotees surged through Kubereshwar Dham, overwhelming the arrangements and triggering chaos at multiple spots. The stampede occurred when a massive crowd gathered outside a puja material shop, causing several women to fall. In the ensuing crush, two were fatally injured, while others lay sprawled in distress suffocated, dizzy, and unconscious. Witnesses described scenes of absolute disorder, with elderly devotees collapsing under the pressure and volunteers scrambling to pull bodies from the crowd. The situation was so dire that it reportedly took over 90 minutes to ferry the injured to the district trauma center. The incident has once again raised serious questions about crowd management and administrative preparedness, especially as the event was a planned religious gathering with an expected massive footfall. Despite claims by the administration and organisers that they had made arrangements for the stay of over 4,000 pilgrims and full-scale prasad distribution across key locations, the system collapsed under pressure a day ahead of the Kanwar Yatra. Meanwhile, traffic on the Indore-Bhopal highway remains paralysed, with devotees stranded and ambulances struggling to move through the jam. Sehore MLA Sudesh Rai, while expressing grief, attempted to defend the authorities. "It's unfortunate. I've informed the Chief Minister. The administration made full arrangements, but the crowd unexpectedly increased. I will go to the spot and assess what went wrong," he said. However, critics are already pointing fingers. The police had announced diversion and parking plans to manage the Kanwar Yatra, set to begin at midnight of August 5, but those measures had not been implemented at the time of the incident. Several devotees fell ill due to the scorching heat, humidity, and discomfort. They are currently being treated at the hospital. Upon receiving information, the IG Bhopal, SP, and Collector rushed to the spot to assess the situation. The situation is now under control, but despite being a day ahead of the main Kanwar Yatra, the influx of devotees has not slowed down. The premises are visibly overcrowded, with people setting up camps wherever they can find space. The intense humidity and heat are adding to the devotees' woes. Adequate arrangements have not been made for the pilgrims. There's a queue of nearly one kilometer outside the community kitchen for food, and the entire area is filled with Kanwar-bearing devotees.
Time of India
05-08-2025
- Time of India
Madhya Pradesh stampede: 2 women crushed at religious event at Kubreshwar Dham; crowd surged during Kanwar Yatra ritual
Bhopal: A religious gathering convened by self-styled godman Pradeep Mishra at Kubreshwar Dham in Sehore turned tragic on Tuesday morning, as a stampede-like situation claimed two lives and left several others injured. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The incident occurred around 10.30 am during a congregation that drew thousands of devotees, many of whom arrived for Mishra's Kanwar Yatra, scheduled for August 6. Mishra also organises rudraksha distribution events—rituals that previously drew large crowds and caused traffic chaos in the region. Thousands of devotees from across the country gathered on Tuesday at the Seewan River ghat and Kubreshwar Dham for pre-yatra rituals, including bhandaras, overnight stays, and temple visits. As the crowd swelled and humidity levels rose, several people reportedly fell ill due to suffocation, panic, and lack of space. Sources said the heavy crowd triggered chaos near the temple complex and rest spots, with several devotees fainting due to heat and overcrowding. In one instance, three people reportedly fell during a sudden crowd surge, and two were crushed in the melee, resulting in their deaths. 'Two women have died, and around half a dozen people sustained injuries. The situation is now under control. More than 200 personnel were deployed, and we have increased the deployment further. Traffic diversions, which were planned for August 6, have already been implemented. Currently, there is a crowd of around 60,000, and the influx is ongoing. A large number of women devotees are present,' SP Sehore Deepak Shukla told TOI. 'Both deceased women were aged above 50 and are residents of Maharashtra. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Their exact identities are being verified. As of now, there is no change in the scheduled Yatra for August 6,' he added. 'As soon as we received the information, officials rushed to the spot. The crowd was dispersed, and the situation was brought under control,' said Shukla. Kubreshwar Dham has witnessed rising footfall in recent years, particularly during rudraksha distribution and yatra events led by Pradeep Mishra, often leading to significant traffic disruptions and logistical challenges in Sehore and adjoining areas. In June 2023, a woman collapsed at the site due to heat and humidity, and in March last year, a tent collapse left several injured, according to sources.
Hans India
19-06-2025
- Hans India
MP: Sex racket busted in Jabalpur, five arrested
Jabalpur: Amid ongoing crackdown against sex rackets, Jabalpur district police raided a hotel located in a posh area of the city, busted a sex racket, and arrested five persons on Thursday. An official said that the raid was conducted at Hotel Velvet Inn, located under the jurisdiction of Lordganaj police. During the search, which was carried out in the presence of police officers, three women and a man (customer) were found in different rooms and arrested on the spot. Another police team arrested the hotel owner, Pradeep Mishra, at his residence, a senior police official said. Police officials said that raids were conducted following a credible input received about sex rackets operating in the hotel Velvet Inn. Initially, hotel staff tried to mislead the police during the search; however, they later cooperated. "Inputs were received regarding an illegal sex racket being operated in the hotel Velvet Inn. Following this, a team was formed involving women cops, and a search operation was carried out. A total of five persons have been arrested. Further investigation is underway," a police official said. He said that the accused have been booked under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, and other relevant charges of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS). 'The women arrested from hotel rooms are aged between 30 and 35 years. The man (customer) arrested has been identified as Jeevan Pandey, a local resident. They are being interrogated,' an official said. He said that the raid was part of the ongoing operation against sex rackets operating in Jabalpur district. Last week, a local BJP leader, Atul Chaurasia, was arrested in Jabalpur after a sex racket was busted in a hotel owned by him. Following his arrest, the BJP has removed him from the party's primary membership.
