Pune (Maharashtra) [India], July 13 (ANI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar on Monday visited the injured victims of the Warkari procession accident in Jejuri and announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh each for the families of the three women pilgrims who lost their lives.
She also assured that the Maharashtra government would bear the entire cost of treatment for the injured.
Three women pilgrims participating in the Ashadi Wari were killed and four others injured after a truck carrying Warkaris rammed into a group of pilgrims on the Saswad-Jejuri Road in Pune district earlier on Monday, police said.
Speaking to reporters after visiting the injured, Pawar described the incident as “extremely painful and tragic” and paid heartfelt tributes to the three women who lost their lives after a truck entered the Warkari procession.
“I have just met the women who were injured in the accident. This is an extremely painful and tragic incident. A truck entered the procession, resulting in the unfortunate deaths of three women. I pay my heartfelt tributes to the deceased,” she said.
Pawar said she met all the injured victims and was informed that while some had suffered fractures and others had sustained minor injuries, the remaining victims were in stable condition.
She said she rushed to the spot immediately after learning about the incident, as she was nearby. The Deputy Chief Minister added that she held discussions with police and district administration officials and directed them to ensure that the injured receive the best possible medical treatment.
“As per the existing Government Resolution (GR), the families of those who lost their lives will be provided an ex gratia compensation of Rs 4 lakh each. The state government will also bear the entire cost of treatment for those who were injured,” Pawar said.
Referring to the ongoing investigation, Pawar said the preliminary findings suggest that the truck driver had consumed medication in the morning before the incident. She, however, said the exact cause of the accident would be known only after the investigation is completed.
Earlier in the day, Pune Rural Police said the accident occurred around 500 metres from the Belsar Toll Naka towards Jejuri, near Hotel Shipdeep Lodging.
Police said the truck belonged to the ‘Dindi’ from Nanded district and was involved in an accident with seven women Warkaris from a ‘Dindi’ from Sangli district.
Three women died in the accident, while four others sustained injuries. The injured were shifted to an ICU hospital in Jejuri for treatment.
Police said the truck was being driven by a 70-year-old man, who has been detained. Police personnel are present at the spot, and legal proceedings are underway. Further investigation into the incident is in progress.
“A truck belonging to the Dindi of Rangnath Maharaj Pokharbisikar from Loha, Nanded District, met with an accident involving seven women Varkaris belonging to a Dindi from Kasbedigraj, Sangli District,” Pune Police (Rural) said.
The Wari pilgrimage, a centuries-old tradition, is the defining ritual of the Warkari Panth, a Maharashtrian Vaishnava religious tradition. The Ashadi Wari is a 21-day pilgrimage procession in which devotees from various parts of Maharashtra travel to Pandharpur, the abode of Lord Vitthal. (ANI)
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