TIRUCHY: Seven persons, including four women, died in a stampede at a private temple near Thuraiyur on Sunday morning. The godman who runs the Karuppasamy temple, MD Dhanapal, has been arrested. Twelve others have sustained serious injuries, including fractures. According to sources, the temple did not have requisite permissions from the government.    

Dhanapal, who was reportedly a tailor about a decade ago, first established his own temple in the nearby village Kaalipatti. As the number of his devotees grew, he bought a plot near Muthaiyanpalayam and shifted there. On every Chithra Pournami day, Dhanapal distributes a fistful of coins (known as pidikasu) to devotees.  

Several thousands come from across the State to get Pidikasu from Dhanapal. The devotees used these coins for their important investments — like to buy seeds, property or thaali for marriages. “This time, somebody started a rumour that the temple was running out of coins, which lead to the stampede,” said Collector Sivarasu.

“The incident happened just 300 metres away from where the godman was distributing the coins. Devotess fell over each other and many became unconscious,” said a police official.Police and fire department personnel rescued the injured and sent them to the government hospital in Thuraiyur. Tiruchy SP Ziaul Haque said that the godman was held under the section 304 (ii) IPC, and the event was stopped immediately.