Inconsolable father sits near son's grave who was killed in Bengaluru stampede, refuses to leave: 'Want to stay here too'
PTC News Desk: A heartbreaking video from Karnataka's Hassan district is doing the rounds on social media where a father who is mourning the loss of his 21-year-old son who was killed in Bnegaluru stampede.
BT Lakshman, father of Bhumik Lakshman - one of the 11 victims who died in the stampede outside Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium - is seen in the video crying inconsolably and refusing to leave his son's grave. "I don’t want to go anywhere else now. I want to stay here too," he sobs, lying flat on the ground.
"The land I had bought for him is where his memorial has been built," Mr Lakshman says, surrounded by villagers as two men gently try to lift him to his feet. “What happened to my son should not happen to anyone. No father should have to face what I am facing.”
Bhumik, a 21-year-old from Hassan, was one of nearly 50 people injured in a crowd surge that occurred on Wednesday during a felicitation event for IPL champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The celebration, held outside the Vidhana Soudha, took a tragic turn as the crowd grew beyond control. Among those who lost their lives were three teenagers and several young adults between the ages of 20 and 35.
The state government is facing mounting criticism following the incident. So far, four individuals have been arrested in connection with the stampede, and five high-ranking police officers — including the Bengaluru Police Commissioner — have been suspended. On Friday, the Karnataka government dismissed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's political secretary, K Govindaraj, and also replaced the head of the state intelligence department.
- PTC NEWS
