Roadshow not organised at permitted venue DIG

Nellore: Guntur range DIG Dr C M Trivikram Varma categorically said that the TDP national president meeting was not held at the permitted venue of NTR circle and was organised next to it where the road was too narrow. He said that people at the venue had tried to take pictures of TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu during the roadshow which also caused disturbance in a congested area. He, along with district SP Ch Vijaya Rao, spoke to media here on Thursday.

The DIG said there is no possibility of stampede if the meeting was organised in a systematic way at the permitted place and added that a senior officer will investigate the case.

SP Vijaya Rao said that they had noticed 10 violations by the party leaders while organising the roadshow and there was a sudden rush in crowd at the meeting venue which led to unavoidable stampede.

He added that the public meeting was not held at the designated area and timing and added that there was no permission for crackers. Still TDP leaders organised bursting of crackers at the roadshow place, he said, adding they had given permission only to organise the meeting between 3 pm and 7 pm at NTR circle.

Further, preliminary findings of the post mortem reports revealed suffocation and high pressure caused the death of eight people during stampede during the roadshow. The doctors recorded the video of the post-mortem process.

During the preliminary assessment, they reportedly concluded that the deceased party workers lost their lives due to suffocation, high pressure and shock.

The eight deceased were identified as K Yanadi, 57, a farmer and TDP SC Cell leader from Kondamudusu Palem, Devineni Ravindra, 73, a farmer from Atmakuru, M Chinna Kondaiah, 55, a mason from Ammavari Palem, U Purushottam, 70, a daily wager from Gundlapalem, K Raja, 50, a softdrink shop owner from Kandukur town, Gaddam Madhu Babu, 45, a daily wage worker from Oguru, U Rajeswari, 40, a housewife from Kandukur town and Yatagiri Vijaya, 35, a daily wage worker from Varichenu Sangam. The TDP leaders made necessary arrangements to shift the bodies of the deceased from the hospital to their native places. Chandrababu Naidu directed party leaders to attend the funerals and extend their cooperation.