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Sabarimala tragedy: Police to submit report in 4 days

January 16, 2011 20:11 IST
The special team of the Crime Branch of the Kerala police, which began investigation into Friday's stampede that claimed the lives of 102 Ayyappa pilgrims, will submit its initial report in four days.

The team head Superintendent of Police S Surendran, who leads the Hurt and Homicide wing of the crime branch, said the report including forensic findings would be submitted to Additional Director General of Police (crime branch) Vinson M Paul in four days.

The six-member team visited the accident spot and took evidences. Forensic experts also visited Pullmedu area where the mishap occurred, official sources said.

Besides the Crime Branch probe, the Kerala government had also announced a judicial inquiry into the mishap which occurred when the devotees were heading home after witnessing makara jyoti, considered as a divine light that flickers across the eastern horizon after the aarti at the Lord Ayyappa temple.

Initial reports had stated that a minor accident involving a jeep and an autorickshaw led to a commotion triggering the stampede.

The police on Sunday denied reports that sufficient contingents of personnel were not deployed at Pullumedu route. They also claimed that the area being part of the Periyar Tiger Reserve it was the responsibility of the forest department to make sufficient arrangements there.

Meanwhile, six more bodies at Kumali hospital had been identified and arrangements made for their sending to respective places. Most of them were from Tamil Nadu. Now the identity of four more victims is to be ascertained, hospital sources said.
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