The state government on Thursday submitted a report to the high court, blaming the district magistrate (DM), the senior superintendent of police (SSP) and the municipal commissioner for the 2014 Dussehra stampede.

The court sought to know from the government whether any action was taken against the officials or not. The case would again be heard on Friday.

Then Patna DM Manish Kumar Verma is posted as South Bihar Power Distribution Company Ltd. managing director, then SSP Manu Maharaaj is Gaya SSP and then Patna Municipal Corporation commissioner Kuldip Narayan is Madhubani DM.

One Jitendra Kumar Singh filed a PIL in the high court after the October 3, 2014, Dussehra tragedy in which 33 persons lost their lives. He sought a probe by an independent agency into the tragedy.

On September 23 this year, a high court division bench of acting Chief Justice I.A. Ansari and Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh had directed the state government to file the inquiry report by October 8.

Quoting the inquiry report, the petitioner's advocate, Manibhushan Pratap Sengar, told The Telegraph: "The home department has requested the general administration department to call for explanations from the three officers, who among others have been found prima facie guilty of administrative lapses."

"The 65-page inquiry report has mentioned lack of light at the Maidan as one of the prime reasons for the stampede. The report said as the high-mast lights at Gandhi Maidan were not functioning properly, the darkness resulted in more deaths," Sengar said, adding that the report pointed out that no one was taking responsibility of the high-mast lights as the district administration claimed that it was the PMC's responsibility, which passed the buck on the former.

The second-most important factor causing the stampede was the rumour that a live electricity wire had fallen on the ground though in reality, it was a TV cable, the government's report stated. It further said a showcause notice had been sought from the Patna DM and SSP in this connection on which the court sought to know what action had been taken against the officials concerned.

Earlier, Sengar objected to the government-appointed two-member probe committee headed by the principal home secretary, claiming it to be eyewash. He added that the government was passing the buck on the issue with actions (suspension) against the doctors of Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), while sparing the police and other administrative officers by transferring them.

Along with action against the guilty, the petitioner has requested the court to direct the state to prevent recurrence of such incidents. The PIL also states provision for separate police forces for manning VIP movement and controlling general masses at huge gatherings such as the one at Gandhi Maidan on Dussehra.