Indore, April 3 (NationPress) A district court in Madhya Pradesh has cleared two individuals of charges related to the Baleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal temple tragedy that resulted in the loss of 36 lives and left 18 others injured during the Ram Navami festival in March 2023.

In the aftermath of this unfortunate event, the Indore Police apprehended the president of the temple trust, Sevaram Galani, and the secretary, Murlidhar Sabnani. They faced allegations of culpable homicide.

On Thursday, the court announced its decision to acquit both individuals, stating that they had no knowledge of a well concealed by a concrete slab on the temple grounds, as explained by their advocate, Raghavendra Singh.

According to Singh, the prosecution presented 33 witnesses during the proceedings. After reviewing their testimonies, the court concluded that Galani and Sabnani were unaware of the well's presence, which was located mere meters from the temple's main entrance and was hidden under a concrete slab. Consequently, all charges against them were dismissed.

Singh also mentioned that the court was taken aback to learn that even the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC), despite having an office not far from the temple, was also uninformed about the existence of the well.

This tragic event transpired on March 30, 2023, when the concrete slab covering a large stepwell collapsed during prayer services for Ram Navami. Over 60 individuals fell into the well as the slab gave way. A coordinated rescue operation involving SDRF, NDRF, and the Indian Army managed to recover 36 bodies, while 18 others sustained injuries.