Thu Jan 09 20:10:15 UTC 2025: **Tirupati Stampede: Two Officials Suspended, Judicial Probe Ordered**
TIRUPATI, Andhra Pradesh (January 9, 2025) – A stampede at the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati on Wednesday night resulted in the deaths of six devotees. In response, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced the suspension of two officials and the transfer of three others for their roles in the incident.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Ramana Kumar was suspended for opening a gate without prior announcement, directly contributing to the stampede. K. Haranath Reddy, Director of the TTD’s Sri Venkateswara Gosamrakshanasala (Dairy Farm) and in charge of token distribution, was also suspended. Three other officials – TTD’s Joint Executive Officer (Health and Education) M. Gouthami, Chief Vigilance and Security Officer S. Sreedhar, and Superintendent of Police (Tirupati) L. Subbarayudu – were transferred for failing to ensure proper coordination between the TTD and civil administration.
Chief Minister Naidu criticized a lack of coordination among officials, stating that while the large number of devotees was positive, the administration must be better prepared for such crowds. He also expressed regret over the incident and vowed to prevent future occurrences, specifically referencing the ten-day opening of the ‘Vaikunta Dwaram’ (sacred threshold), a practice he questioned. A judicial probe has been ordered to determine the full extent of the failures leading to the stampede.
The government has announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹25 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased devotee. President Murmu and Prime Minister Modi, along with Rahul Gandhi, have also expressed their condolences. Nearly 120,000 ‘Vaikunta Dwara Darshan’ tokens were distributed before the stampede.
First Piper 