Kottayam, Tuesday 18 January 2010: Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has said that the stampede at Pulmedu in Idukki district on Makaravilakku day was an unexpected incident and the State government will bring out the whole truth which led to the tragedy.

Speaking to presspersons at Pullupara after visiting the accident site, Kodiyeri said the government was making all efforts to get a judge of the Kerala High Court for a judicial inquiry which had already been announced. The report of the Crime Branch inquiry would be made available within the next few days.

However, the important thing was not to wait for the inquiry reports but to join hands to work for the conduct of the pilgrim season at Sabarimala in an orderly manner, he said. Kodiyeri wanted all government departments and other stakeholders to work together for the purpose.

Giving a clean chit to the Police Department, the Home Minister said 270 men were deployed during the pilgrimage. They had covered the entire area from Kumily to Pulmedu. He rejected the allegations of police negligence in crowd management, and said the accident was unexpected.

The functioning of shops in the area was not new. Neither was the presence of a large number of vehicles. However, the government was not averse to reviewing the issues in the light of the accident, he said.

(News agency)