Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav ordered the removal of the City Superintendent of Police from his position and the suspension of eight other law enforcement officers due to alleged negligence following a devastating truck crash near the Sheetla Mata Temple in Gwalior. The incident claimed 15 lives and led to an order for a detailed official inquiry to fix accountability and ensure strict action against those responsible.
In a statement shared on social media, Chief Minister Yadav emphasized that public safety is the top priority and warned that zero tolerance will be maintained regarding negligence at any level. He noted that security arrangements will be reviewed thoroughly to avoid similar tragedies in the future. The crash occurred late on Saturday night around 1:30 am when a paddy-loaded truck coming from the Chinor direction breached police barricades and plowed into roadside stalls and crowds of devotees before striking the temple entrance gate.
Preliminary findings indicated that a mechanical failure caused the driver to lose control on a slope. The heavy vehicle had encountered a massive gathering of devotees who had assembled for Saptami from Gwalior and neighboring districts. The impact caused a section of the gateway wall to collapse, trapping numerous victims under the rubble and damaging several prasad stalls, ultimately hitting approximately 41 people and leaving 27 others injured.
Local authorities swiftly detained the truck owner, Mohit Singh, and the driver, Dilbag Singh. In response to the tragedy, the Madhya Pradesh government announced financial compensation of 4 lakh rupees for the families of each deceased victim, 2 lakh rupees for those seriously injured, and 50,000 rupees for other injured individuals, alongside promises of free medical treatment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief over the loss of lives through a statement from the Prime Minister's Office, announcing an ex-gratia relief of 2 lakh rupees from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for the families of the deceased and 50,000 rupees for the injured.