Kasaragod: A treasure hunt attempt at the Arikady fort here, led to the detention of 5 individuals including a panchayat vice-president on Monday, January 27.

According to the Onmanorama report, the accused were attempting to dig a well at the Kumbla Arikady Fort in search of treasure. The fort falls under the control of the Department of Archaeology.

The group was caught in the fort premises around 4 PM as they were allegedly trying to excavate 'treasure' inside the fort illegally. Upon detention, the young individuals involved in the act revealed to the police they pursued the treasure hunt acting on directions of Mogral-Puthur grama panchayat vice-president Mujeeb Kambar. The police recovered tools such as a pickaxe and earthenware used for digging at the site.

The incident came to light when locals, alerted by unusual sounds coming from the fort, decided to check. Upon reaching the location, they discovered the individuals digging the well, two individuals standing outside the well attempted to escape but were intercepted by the locals, who then contacted the Kumbla police.

The Kumbala police revealed that the group had visited the fort a few days earlier, driven by rumors of treasure being unearthed by Kudumbashree workers in Kannur. Acting on these tales, they planned their own search but were caught.

Police have confirmed that all five individuals will be released on station bail.

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Mahakumbh Nagar (PTI): A day after a stampede at the Maha Kumbh left 30 dead, the Uttar Pradesh government ramped up efforts to ensure crowd management and safety of devotees who continued to flock here in large numbers for the religious gathering.

The devotees braved the pre-dawn chill and dense fog to take a dip in the Sangam and at other ghats here on Thursday.

More than 55.11 lakh devotees had taken the holy dip till 8:00 am, according to the Uttar Pradesh government.

Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Anshuman Mishra told PTI that the area would remain a no-vehicle zone until the crowd disperses completely.

"Vehicle passes will not be valid until all devotees have safely left for their destinations. No outside vehicles would be allowed to enter the city until the crowd exits the Mela area," he said.

However, senior officials may grant permission for vehicle entry based on the situation, he said.

Mishra clarified that essential services such as police administration vehicles, ambulances and suction machines would be allowed entry as they are crucial for the smooth management of the Maha Kumbh.

Pilgrims, including women and children, were seen walking to and fro the various ghats amid reduced visibility. Many had thin blankets covering their bodies while some stopped by bonfires along the routes to keep themselves warm.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh and Director General of Police Prashant Kumar are scheduled to reach here later in the day for a detailed probe into the stampede.

The top officers would also conduct a thorough review of the arrangements in the Mela area, Chief Minister Adityanath said on Wednesday night.

"Every aspect related to security and public convenience must be carefully examined to ensure seamless arrangements for Basant Panchami (Feb 3 - Amrit Snan)," he said.

In a bid to further strengthen the arrangements, the Uttar Pradesh government will also be deploying two former senior officers on Mela duty -- Ashish Goyal, who served as divisional commissioner of Prayagraj for the 2019 Kumbh, and Bhanu Goswami, former vice chairman of the Agra Development Authority.

Additionally, five special secretary-level officers are being assigned to oversee operations. All of them will remain in Prayagraj till February 12 to assist in streamlining the arrangements, Adityanath said.

Besides 30 deaths, 60 people were injured in the pre-dawn stampede on Wednesday in the Sangam area of the Maha Kumbh as millions of pilgrims jostled for space to take a holy dip on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya, one of the most auspicious days of the Hindu calendar.

Maha Kumbh DIG Vaibhav Krishna said the incident took place due to crowd pressure. The crowd broke barricades and jumped to the other side, crushing those waiting there, he said.

On Wednesday, more than 7.64 crore devotees had a 'snan' at the Maha Kumbh, the highest in a single day so far. The footfall since the beginning of the mega event had crossed 27.58 crore by the end of Wednesday, according to the Uttar Pradesh government.

The Maha Kumbh kicked off on January 13 and will continue till February 26.