Bareilly Mayor's Raksha Bandhan event turns fatal in stampede

A Raksha Bandhan celebration in Bareilly, India, resulted in the death of one woman and injuries to several others following a crowd surge at an event organized by Mayor Umesh Gautam. The incident occurred at the Bareilly Club Ground during a program where approximately 20,000 women had gathered to tie rakhis on the Mayor and his son, Parth Gautam.

The deceased has been identified as Madhu, the wife of former serviceman Bhagwan Singh. While some injured attendees were treated and discharged from a district hospital, others were reported to be in critical condition.

The situation reportedly escalated around 3:00 pm when a massive crowd rushed toward the stage, despite announcements requesting patience. Eyewitnesses and family members have raised concerns regarding a lack of adequate security personnel and insufficient crowd management arrangements for a gathering of such magnitude. The event was organized by the Yuva Sewak Sangh and the Parth Gautam Foundation, with attendees reportedly lured by promises of food and gifts.