Bareilly BJP Mayor Umesh Gautam’s Rakhi Event Turns Chaotic As 20,000 Women Gather, Several Faint in Crowd Crush (Video)

A Rakshabandhan event organised by Bareilly BJP Mayor Umesh Gautam, where sarees were distributed to women, descended into chaos after a crowd of over 20,000 turned up, leading to a stampede-like situation in which several women fainted after being crushed in the throng. The event, held a day before Rakshabandhan at Bareilly Club Ground in Uttar Pradesh, was scheduled to run from morning till evening, but the situation deteriorated as the crowd swelled in intense heat and humidity. Senior Superintendent of Police Anurag Arya said police had not been informed about the event in advance, and officials confirmed that no formal complaint has been lodged so far.

Crowd Breaches Barricades, Rushes Towards Stage

Coupons had been distributed in advance for women to tie rakhis at the event, drawing a large turnout that included children and elderly family members. The ground became so packed that hardly any standing room was left, and a large number of women breached the barricades and began moving towards the stage. Several women fell down amid the pushing and shoving near the stage, while unconscious and injured women were seen being carried out in ambulances. Bihar: Stampede at Ashok Dham Temple in Lakhisarai on 3rd Monday of Sawan, 7 Women Killed (Videos).

Bareilly BJP Mayor Umesh Gautam's Rakhi Event Turns Chaotic As 20,000 Women Turn Up

Mayor Umesh Gautam Tries To Control Situation

Observing the worsening scene, Mayor Umesh Gautam attempted to disperse the crowd across different areas of the ground. He reportedly sent his son, Parth Gautam, to the main gate so that rakhis could be tied there as well, in an effort to ease the crush near the stage. Despite the move, pressure from the crowd did not subside. Mahakal Nagchandreshwar Temple Stampede: Several Devotees Injured as Crowd Surges After Barricades Open (Videos).

Children Separated From Families, Belongings Scattered

Reports emerged of children getting separated from their families in the crowd, with continuous announcements made from the stage over the loudspeaker to reunite them. Broken bangles, slippers and other personal items were seen scattered across the grounds as the chaos unfolded.

An elderly woman recounted that a young girl had been trapped in the crush and was rescued only after remaining pinned down for about five minutes, adding that she herself sustained injuries to her hands and legs during the incident. Another woman, who had travelled from the Bhuta area to attend the event, said someone grabbed her hand as she was moving towards the stage, and that her slippers and toe rings came off in the crush.

Women Slam Poor Crowd Management

Women attending the event questioned the arrangements, pointing out that despite a large number of invitees, there appeared to be inadequate measures to control the crowd. Attendees expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of drinking water in the heat, the absence of safe pathways and poor crowd management overall. The pressure intensified further during the distribution of gifts, as women scrambled to collect them.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 28, 2026 03:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).