India: Two FIRs filed after six devotees die in Tirupati stampede during Vaikunta Ekadasi celebrations

Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh: Following the stampede during the Vaikunta Ekadasi celebrations, two FIRs have been filed by the families of the victims, who lost their lives in the chaos caused by overcrowding at the Tirupati temple town on January 8.

Six devotees died, and nearly 40 others sustained injuries during the stampede at different locations.

The first FIR was lodged by P. Srinivasulu, a Tahsildar from Balaiahpalli Mandal, after R. Malliga, a 50-year-old woman from Tamil Nadu’s Mettur Salem district, collapsed in the queue for darshan tokens at Vishnunivasam. Despite being rushed to the Sri Venkateswara Ramnarain Ruia Government General Hospital (SVRRGG), Malliga was declared dead on arrival. The police attributed her death to overcrowding and her pre-existing health condition.

The second FIR, filed by M. Jayaramulu, a Tahsildar from Narayanavanam Mandal, reported the deaths of five more devotees who were caught in another stampede at Padmavathi Park near Ramanaidu School. The victims included Kandipilli Santhi (35) from Visakhapatnam, Guddla Rajini (45), Boddeti Naidu Babu (55), Suri Setty Lavanya Swathi (37) and Nirmala from Tamil Nadu. They had been waiting for darshan tokens when a sudden surge in the crowd caused them to fall. Despite being rushed to the hospital, all five were declared dead shortly after arrival.

The scale of the tragedy has drawn criticism from opposition leaders and former officials, who blame the state government for its failure to manage the crowd.

Bhuma Karunakar Reddy, former Chairman of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), slammed the administration, accusing it of inadequate preparations despite knowing that millions of devotees would be attending.

He claimed that the ruling party had compromised the sanctity of the temple by prioritising political interests over the safety of the devotees.

In response, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu visited the site to take stock of the situation. He expressed his condolences to the victims’ families and announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs25 lakh (Rs2.5 million) to each of the deceased’s families. Revenue Minister Anagani Satya Prasad also promised support to the affected families, stating, “We cannot replace life with anything else, but we will support the families.”

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin offered Rs200,000 in financial assistance to the family of one of the victims from Tamil Nadu.

As the Vaikunta Ekadasi celebrations continue, the state government has assured the public that measures are in place to prevent further incidents. The Tirupati Collector, S. Venkateswar, confirmed that 120,000 tickets for the Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Tirumala Hills have been sold, and additional security personnel have been deployed to manage the crowds and ensure safety.

Despite these assurances, the tragedy has raised serious concerns about the preparedness and safety measures for such large-scale religious events, with many questioning whether more could have been done to prevent the devastating loss of life.