THREE KANWARIYAS DIED FALLING INTO A GORGE

THREE KANWARIYAS DIED FALLING INTO A GORGE

12-AUG-ENG 1

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

SASARAM----------------------------Three Kanwariyas (pilgrims) died after slipping and falling into a deep gorge while on their way to Gupta Dham from Panari Ghat in the Baddi police station area. The deceased include 50-year-old Mumtaz Ansari from Karth village (Tarari police station area, Bhojpur district), and 35-year-old Shambhu Mehta from Shankarpur village and Prayag Mehta from Amarpura village (both under Obra police station area, Aurangabad district). Police from Baddi and Chenari recovered the bodies after an arduous effort lasting nearly 24 hours.

While en route to Gupta Dham, 50-year-old Mumtaz Ansari from Karth village (Bhojpur) was the first to slip and fall from the hillside into the deep gorge. Devotees nearby informed the police officers stationed at Panari. Subsequently, the police retrieved Mumtaz's body after a difficult operation. The body was handed over to his family following a post-mortem examination.

After handing over Mumtaz's body to his family, the police received information that two more Kanwariyas had fallen into the gorge. Shambhu Mehta (35) from Shankarpur village and Prayag Mehta from Amarpura village (both from Aurangabad district) lost their balance due to the crowd and fell into the gorge at the same spot. Shambhu Mehta died on the spot, while Prayag Mehta was critically injured. It took a considerable amount of time to retrieve both men from the gorge; during this time, Prayag Mehta also succumbed to his injuries.

Baddi Station House Officer (SHO) Ramvriksh Kumar stated that Mumtaz Ansari's body has been handed over to his family. Meanwhile, the bodies of Shambhu Mehta and Prayag Mehta have also been recovered. The families of the deceased have been informed of the incident. Both bodies are being sent to Sadar Hospital, Sasaram, for post-mortem examinations.

Around three lakh devotees had arrived at Gupta Dham to perform *Jalabhishek* (ritual offering of water) at the holy cave on the second Monday of the month of Sawan. A massive influx of devotees led to sudden overcrowding at Karamchat Dam, Ugahni Ghat, and Panari Ghat. Most devotees arriving from other districts and states prefer the Panari Ghat route to reach Gupta Dham. The heavy crowd caused significant difficulties for devotees while climbing the hill.

It is reported that every year, devotees lose their lives after falling into the ravine along the Panari Ghat route. The police and administration issue warnings regarding this annually; nevertheless, acts of negligence continue to result in accidents involving devotees.