By Kavita Mistry 
This special report covers an incident at a public event in Puttur, Dakshina Kannada, attended by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, where at least ten people fell ill. According to a police source, ‘People stormed the place where lunch and other items were served leading to a stampede-like situation. The incident occured due to delay in supply of lunch and gifts and women fell ill due to dehydration’. The event, named ‘Ashoka Janamana – 2025’ and organised for Deepavali, saw a larger-than-expected crowd, which led to overcrowding and a lack of adequate facilities like drinking water. The affected individuals, mostly women, suffered from dehydration and hypoglycemia; three required IV fluids while seven were discharged after outpatient treatment. The district administration has stated that the situation is under control and there were no casualties reported.