Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav ordered removal of the City Superintendent of Police (CSP) from his post and the suspension of eight other police personnel over alleged negligence following a truck accident near Sheetla Mata Temple in Gwalior that claimed 15 lives and ordered a detailed investigation into the incident.
“The safety of all citizens is paramount. To prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future, the security arrangements will be reviewed and necessary steps taken. No negligence will be tolerated at any level in public safety,” he added.
In a post on X, Yadav said, “Taking the negligence in the incident near the Sheetla Mata Temple in Gwalior seriously, instructions have been issued to immediately remove the CSP from his post and suspend three station house officers, one traffic inspector, one head constable, and three constables with ordering a detailed investigation into the incident, so that responsibility can be fixed and strict action ensured against the guilty. Earlier reporting noted: Temple tragedy: MP CM orders removal of Gwalior City SP, suspension of 8 other cops Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Sunday ordered the removal of the Gwalior City Superintendent of Police and the suspension of eight other personnel after the temple accident that claimed 14 lives when a truck ploughed into devotees. Earlier reporting noted: The incident, which occurred around 1.30 am outside the temple near a slope on Chinor Road, raised concerns about security arrangements at the shrine, as the truck, with a Punjab registration number, entered the no-entry zone, officials said.
Earlier reporting noted: “The accident occurred because the truck entered a prohibited area,” Yadav told reporters in Indore.
Rescue teams and police immediately rushed to the spot and pulled out those trapped under the collapsed wall. “The news of the deaths of devotees in the truck accident that occurred in Gwalior is extremely heart-wrenching. In this hour of grief, the state government stands with all affected families. My condolences are with the families of all the deceased,” he added.
The incident occured at 1:30 am, when a truck laden with paddy coming from the Chinor side was stopped by police at the barricade, but the driver lost control on the slope and plowed into roadside stalls and devotees. Police said five-six prasad stalls were damaged and nearly 41 people were hit in the accident. CM Yadav condoled the incident and announced financial assistance of 4 lakh rupees each to the families of the deceased, 2 lakh rupees each to the seriously injured, and 50 thousand rupees each to the other injured.
The truck then broke through the barricades and struck the entrance gate after running over devotees and stalls, according to SP Yadav.
