A tragic stampede at the Sheetla Mata Temple in Maghra Village, Bihar Sharif, resulted in the death of at least nine devotees on March 31, 2026. The incident occurred during a massive gathering on the last Tuesday of the Chaitra month, which also coincided with Mahavir Jayanti. Following the tragedy, the administration has initiated strict legal actions against temple management and security personnel for failing to control the crowd.
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Police Action and Suspension of Officials
The authorities have filed an FIR against 20 individuals for negligence during the temple gathering. Four priests from the Sheetla Mata Temple have been arrested as part of the ongoing investigation. The Nalanda district administration also suspended five police personnel, including the Station House Officer (SHO) of Deep Nagar, for dereliction of duty. An inquiry team is currently examining CCTV footage and forensic evidence to determine how the situation escalated.
Compensation and Relief for Victims
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹6 lakh for the families of those who died in the stampede. This includes ₹4 lakh from the Disaster Management Department and ₹2 lakh from the CM Relief Fund. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condoled the deaths and announced ₹2 lakh from the PMNRF for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured. Local witnesses mentioned that the overcrowding was extremely high and police presence was not sufficient to control the thousands of visitors.
| Authority | Benefit for Deceased Families | Benefit for Injured |
|---|---|---|
| Bihar Government | ₹6,00,000 | Free Medical Treatment |
| Central Government | ₹2,00,000 | ₹50,000 |
Official statements from President Droupadi Murmu and Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary also extended support to the affected families. The local administration is now scrutinizing safety measures for future religious gatherings to prevent such incidents.
