Panaji: Hours after six people lost their lives in a stampede at a temple festival in North Goa, the state government has ordered the transfer of senior-level officers, including the District Collector and Superintendent of Police (North Goa).
Addressing a press conference in Panaji, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told reporters that a fact-finding committee headed by State Revenue Secretary Sandeep Jacques and comprising senior police officer Varma Sharma (IPS), Parimal Abhishekh (State Director of Transport), and Tikam Singh Varma (SP, South Goa) as members, has been formed.
The fact-finding committee will submit its report to the government by Sunday morning.
Sawant said that in order to ensure a free and fair inquiry, the government has transferred District Collector Sneha Gitte, Superintendent of Police (North) Akshat Kaushal, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Bicholim) Jivba Dalvi, Deputy Collector (Bicholim) Bhimnath Khorjuvekar, and Police Inspector Dinesh Gadekar with immediate effect.
He said the fact-finding committee will visit the stampede site and prepare its report after speaking with all the concerned persons, including SP North, Collector North, and officials of the Fire and Emergency Services.
Sawant said that the death toll remains at six, with eleven injured people admitted to Goa Medical College and Hospital near here, of whom five are on ventilator support. He added that eight persons are admitted to North Goa District Hospital.
