Tirupati/Vijayawada : The Andhra Pradesh government appointed retired High Court judge Justice M Satyanarayana Murthy to lead a judicial inquiry into the tragic stampede at Padmavathi Municipal Park, in Bairagipatteda of Tirupati, on January 8. The incident, which occurred during the Vaikunta Ekadasi tokens issuing time, claimed six lives as devotees scrambled to collect darshan tokens.

Justice Murthy’s inquiry, established under the Commissions of Inquiries Act, 1952, will examine the causes of the tragedy, assess the adequacy of arrangements and identify those accountable for lapses. The commission will also propose measures to improve crowd management and safety protocols for large religious gatherings in Tirupati and Tirumala.

Armed with the powers of a civil court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, the commission can summon witnesses, review evidence and requisition documents. Justice Murthy is expected to submit his findings and recommendations within six months.

The inquiry follows Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s strong response to the incident. On January 9, a day after the tragedy, the Chief Minister suspended DSP Ramana Kumar and TTD Goshala director Dr Harinatha Reddy for negligence in overseeing arrangements. Additional disciplinary actions included the transfer of Tirupati Superintendent of Police L Subba Rayudu, TTD joint executive officer M Gowthami and TTD’s Chief Vigilance and security officer S Sridhar.

The stampede occurred at Sri Padmavathi Municipal Park, as thousands of devotees gathered to collect darshan tokens. Poor crowd management led to a chaotic rush, resulting in fatalities and injuries. During his visit to the site, Chief Minister Naidu criticised the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) for its outdated token distribution system and directed officials to implement a modernised and efficient process to prevent future tragedies.