Puri Rath Yatra stampede: Law Minister vows action after probe into 'very unfortunate' incident
Three devotees lost their lives and several others were injured during the crowd surge at the world-famous Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Puri.
"The incident is very unfortunate. The state government has taken strict action and a senior officer will investigate the incident... We will take action once we get the report of the investigation," Harichandan told reporters.
He added, "Mahaprabhu, with his wish, gives darshan to his devotees... Tomorrow, the devotees will have the opportunity to offer prayers... I prayed to Mahaprabhu for the well-being of everyone."
Following the incident, the state government has ordered a high-level administrative inquiry to be supervised by the Development Commissioner. Puri Superintendent of Police Pinak Mishra has been appointed in place of the previous SP, and Puri Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain has been replaced by Chanchal Rana. Odisha DCP Vishnu Pati and Commandant Ajay Padhi were also suspended for negligence of duty.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed deep sorrow over the incident and announced a financial assistance of ₹ 25 lakh to the families of each of the deceased devotees. He also assured that strict action would be taken against those responsible and pledged to prevent such tragedies in the future.
"Rath Yatra is a source of pride for Odisha," the Chief Minister said, adding that the safety and sanctity of the festival would be safeguarded at all costs.
Meanwhile, Arabinda K Padhee, Chief Administrator of the Shree Jagannatha Temple Office in Puri, said that the rituals during the festival were carried out smoothly despite the unfortunate incident.
"The chariots in the Rath Yatra reached Shree Gundicha Temple on June 28, and as per tradition, they visited their birthplace the next day. Unique and mesmerising rituals were conducted today very smoothly... We acknowledge the support and cooperation of the devotees... The important ritual will be the Sandhya Darshan on July 4. We request all the devotees to cooperate and follow the given instructions," he said.
Odisha Director General of Police (DGP) YB Khurania also noted that the Pahandi Bije ceremony of Lord Jagannath was completed peacefully. "Just now, lakhs of people throughout the country witnessed the Pahandi Bije ceremony of Lord Jagannath. There was no disturbance anywhere," he said.
The annual Rath Yatra is a significant religious event in Odisha, drawing lakhs of devotees from across the country. The recent stampede has cast a shadow over the celebrations, prompting authorities to review crowd management and ensure stricter safety protocols in the coming days. (ANI)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
Odisha govt appeals to officers to resume duty
Bhubaneswar: With official work across Odisha paralysed for two days because of a 'cease work' by Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) and Odisha Revenue Service (ORS) officers, the State government on Wednesday appealed to the agitating officers to resume duty. The State government officials launched the protest on Tuesday, a day after Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Additional Commissioner Ratnakar Sahoo was allegedly dragged out of his office and assaulted by a group of miscreants. According to police, five persons have been arrested so far in connection with the incident. To resolve the ongoing deadlock, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi convened a high-level meeting with senior officials. After the meeting, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari urged the officers to end their agitation and assured that such an incident would not happen again. 'The incident has shocked everyone…no one is supporting it, and it is highly condemnable. So far, five persons have been arrested while other accused will be arrested and forwarded to court,' Pujari told reporters. The minister said the OAS Association has already held meetings with the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary. 'If they (officers) want, we are ready for further discussions. This is not the proper time to go on 'cease work'. I appeal to them to resume their duties. We can hold discussions on their demands,' he said. Pujari also pointed to the ongoing flood situation in parts of northern Odisha and the Rath Yatra festival as reasons why the agitation is untimely. On OAS Association's demand for arrest of BJP leader Jagannath Pradhan for his alleged involvement in the attack, Pujari said, 'Police are investigating the incident from all angles. Once they complete the investigation, it can be ascertained who was behind the assault. It will not be right to arrest someone without an investigation. So, let's allow the law to take its course.' The OAS Association had given a call for a 'mass leave' from Tuesday over the incident. They later postponed it after getting an assurance from Majhi. However, despite the Association's decision to defer the agitation, OAS and ORS officers in a majority of the districts, including Cuttack, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Sambalpur, Bolangir, Sonepur, Rayagada, Dhenkanal and Mayurbhanj went ahead with the agitation. Due to the absence of sufficient field-level and district officers, government and public service works have almost come to a standstill, an officer said. The officers also demanded adequate security for all field-level executive officers to discharge their duties, and public condemnation of the incident by the government. Meanwhile, a meeting was held at the BMC office to review the security arrangements so that such an incident does not recur in future. 'The security agency engaged by the BMC has been asked to depose before the authority. If needed, we will deploy armed security personnel to guard the office,' BMC Mayor Sulochana Das said. The CCTV cameras in the BMC office, which were dysfunctional, will be made operational soon, she said. Police have so far arrested five persons, including BJP corporator Jeevan Rout, in connection with the assault. Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner S Dev Datta Singh said, 'Soon after the incident, we took action and arrested five persons. Strong action would be taken against all involved in the incident.'
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
4-member team to assist Garg in Puri stampede probe
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Wednesday formed a four-member team to assist Development Commissioner Anu Garg to complete an inquiry into the Puri stampede within 30 days. Garg has been asked to conduct the administrative inquiry into the death of three persons and the injury to around 50 people in the stampede near Shree Gundicha temple in Puri during the Rath Yatra festivities on June 29. According to an office order issued by the General Administration and Public Grievance department, four Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) officers have been included in the team. Joint Director of Estates and GA & PG department's Additional Secretary Manas Ranjan Samal, and Housing and Urban Development Department Additional Secretary Binaya Kumar Dash are part of the four-member group. Two others are Water Resources Department Additional Secretary Rashmi Ranjan Nayak and Works Department Additional Secretary Pradip Kumar Sahoo. Of the four OAS officers, Dash and Sahoo are presently deployed in the Rath Yatra duty and will remain in Puri till July 8, the order said. 'The officers concerned shall undertake the responsibility in addition to their regular duties. They are required to be present in the office of the Development Commissioner- cum-Additional Chief Secretary, Planning & Convergence Department, for approximately two hours daily, from 3 pm to 5 pm, to support the inquiry process,' it said. Hours after the stampede on June 29, the State government had ordered an administrative inquiry headed by Garg and asked her to complete the probe within 30 days. Garg had on Monday started her investigation into the incident and held discussions with the Chief Administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA ), the Puri Collector and the SP, besides other officials and temple servitors. The Development Commissioner said she would find out what led to the stampede situation and identify the people responsible for the incident. 'I would also see what more measures could be taken to avoid such incidents in future,' the Development Commissioner said. Apart from meeting different stakeholders, Garg said she would examine all CCTV footage, go through the deployment orders and whether the SOPs were being followed. On the day of the stampede, the State government shifted the Puri District Collector and the SP. A new Collector and a Superintendent of Police have been appointed, and seniorbureaucrat Aravind Agarwal was assigned to supervise the Rath Yatra affairs in Puri.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Bureaucrats go on mass leave over officer's assault, work hit across Odisha govt offices
Administrative work in Odisha government offices has been impacted as senior officials have gone on mass leave for the past two days in more than 20 districts to protest against the assault of a senior officer of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday. As the Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) and Odisha Revenue Service (ORS) officers are the backbone when it comes to delivering public services at the block, tehsil and district level government offices, their stir demanding action against the perpetrators has hit governance. On Monday, BMC additional commissioner Ratnakar Sahoo, a senior OAS officer, was dragged out of his chamber and assaulted by a group of miscreants, who asked the officer to apologise to BJP leader Jagannath Pradhan. While the police have so far arrested five persons, including BMC corporator Jeevan Rout, the Odisha unit of the BJP has also suspended five of its workers, including Rout, for their alleged involvement in the assault. The Odisha Administrative Service Association, which announced the mass leave, placed three 'non-negotiable' demands before the CM, including the immediate arrest of BJP leader Pradhan. Association members also met Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja and placed a memorandum calling Pradhan the 'prime accused and kingpin' behind the attack. The demand to arrest Pradhan assumes significance as he had on Tuesday blamed the officer, Sahoom, of misbehaving with him and a woman sanitation worker of the BMC, leading to the assault. He also condemned the assault. The OAS association also demanded security for all field-level executive officers, including tehsildars, sub-collectors, block development officers and executive officers of civic bodies. It asked for a public condemnation of the incident by the state government. 'Considering the widespread discontentment of all the members of the Association working across the state, it has been decided that all OAS officers will continue to be on leave until the demands are met,' read a memorandum of the Association submitted to the chief secretary. The OAS body said that such a brazen act has destroyed the morale of officers working across the state. Odisha's revenue minister Suresh Pujari urged the officers not to go on mass leave given the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath is currently underway in Puri, while some pockets in northern districts are seeing a flood-like situation.
