Eight Friends Die in Road Accident While Returning from Kumbh Mela

Villagers Hesitate to Inform Families

Overwhelmed by the enormity of the tragedy, villagers were hesitant to break the news to two of the young men’s families. Those heading towards their homes were also cautioned against revealing the unfortunate incident. When the bodies finally arrived late at night, the families were inconsolable upon receiving the news. A similar scene unfolded in four other homes in the village.

Funeral to Proceed Only After Compensation

Sarpanch Prakashchandra Regar said that the entire Badliyas is in shock over the incident. The families are devastated, with many in an unconscious state. The cremation of the bodies will not take place until the government provides ₹21 lakh each to the bereaved families and a government job to one member of each family.

Departure at 10:30 AM

Eight young men left the village for Prayagraj in a car at 10:30 AM. News of the accident arrived at 4 PM, leaving the entire village stunned. Many family members fainted upon hearing the news.

This tragic and painful incident has left us deeply saddened. I pray for the peace of the departed souls. I urge the Chief Minister to provide ₹2.5 million in financial assistance to the affected families to help them cope with their loss. The entire state is grieving over this incident.

• Dheeraj Gurjar, National Secretary, Congress

To ensure the post-mortem could be conducted in the presence of the families, they were immediately sent with the help of the police and the tehsildar. Arrangements were made to bring the bodies to the village. The departmental process has been initiated to provide the dependents with the benefits of the Ayushman Arogya Accident Insurance Scheme. Whether or not a case under the SC/ST Act is applicable will be determined after the FIR is filed. The administration is providing all possible assistance to the affected families.

• Jasmeet Singh Sandhu, Collector

Some of the deceased were active BJP workers. The district organisation prays for the peace of the departed souls and offers support to the bereaved families during this difficult time, and for the speedy recovery of the injured. The organisation is in mourning.

Prashant Mewada, BJP District President

We express our condolences to the families of the deceased. May God grant the departed souls a place in his abode and provide strength to the grieving families. May the injured recover soon. Every possible effort will be made to help.

• Damodar Agrawal, MP, Bhilwara

Instructions for Immediate Assistance to Dependents

Mandalgarh MLA Gopal Khandelwal, upon receiving news of the incident, immediately rushed to Dudu from the Jaipur Assembly session. He informed Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma about the incident and spoke with Bhilwara Collector Jasmeet Singh Sandhu. Khandelwal stated that this is a tragic incident and that the Chief Minister has instructed officials to provide immediate assistance from the state government to the dependents of the deceased.

Late-Night Post-Mortem

The police conducted post-mortems on all eight bodies late at night at the Dudu government hospital. The bodies were then sent to their respective villages in Bhilwara.

Son-in-Law from Badliyas

Shankar (35), son of Nathulal Reger, a resident of Palasia, who was a victim of the accident, was the son-in-law of Ladulal Reger, a resident of Badliyas. He was the father of three daughters and one son. Similarly, Prakash Suthar was from Mukundpuriya and Pramod Mewada from Palasia.

From Grocery Stores to Mobile Shops

Dinesh (23), son of Madanlal Reger, who died in the accident, was unmarried and the youngest of three brothers. He ran a mobile shop. Mukesh (25), son of Udaylal Reger, became a father six months ago. He was a grocery merchant. Kishan (45), son of Jankilal Chaturvedi, was the father of two children; his younger son is differently-abled, and his daughter is divorced. Ravikant (30), son of Madan Mewada, was the father of three daughters, one of whom is six months old. He was a railway employee. Similarly, Narayan (28), son of Rameshwarlal Bairava, was the father of two daughters. He worked for a private finance company and also ran a grocery store. All five deceased were residents of Badliyas.