Madhya Pradesh: Civic body razes Indore temple down days after 36 died in stepwell collapse

The Indore Municipality undertook a demolition drive at the Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal temple on Monday, days after the stepwell collapse tragedy that killed 36 devotees.

Indore:Bulldozers rolled into the Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal temple on Mondaydays after a tragic incident in which 36 were killed when a slab that was constructed over a stepwell collapsed. The Indore municipality deployed bulldozers and demolished illegal structures at the temple.

The drive was launched by the municipality to remove encroachments of 10,000 square feet of land at the temple complex and to relocate the idols to another temple. Heavy police security was deployed at the site with barricades placed on roads leading to the temple. Encroachments from around the temple premises were completely removed.

The civic body has arranged for special prayers at the temple premises before the demolition driver. The idols were offered prayers before they were relocated to Kantafod temple. Following the tragic incident on Ram Navami, an FIR was lodged against Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal Temple Trust president Sevaram Galani and secretary Murli Kumar Sabnani.

Both were accused of botching-up the stepwell's cover construction. It is because of the poor construction, the well cover caved-in dragging down the devotees standing over it during a 'havan'ceremony on Ram Navami. It is learnt that the Indore Municipal Corporation had already issued orders to the temple trust remove the illegal constructions at the temple. However, the temple authorities did not act on the direction.

The demolition drive also follows the accusation by the former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath who said the civic body was lethargic of the unauthorised constructions over the stepwell. He also alleged that the civic body's hands must have been tied due to the pressure from the ruling BJP government. Kamal Nath also gave an ultimatum by threatening to file a PIL in the Madhya Pradesh High Court if these constructions were not removed within seven days.

Rescue operations continued for a day till Friday afternoon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced ex gratia for the family of the deceased and compensation for those injured. 16 people were rescued in the incident.