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Time of India
30-06-2025
- Time of India
Lens on VIP culture in Puri stampede aftermath
1 2 3 Bhubaneswar: VIP culture has come under focus a day after three persons died following a stampede outside Gundicha Temple in Puri. Family members of the deceased alleged that while devotees struggled to catch a glimpse of the deities atop the chariots, police escorted VIP guests right up to the Raths, a charge denied by the police. According to the bereaved, like previous years, barricades were installed around the three chariots to prevent devotees from touching or boarding them, a policy which is in tune with a 2014 Orissa high court order that allows only duty-bound servitors of Jagannath Temple to access the chariots. Dilip Sahu, whose wife Basanti (42) is among the dead, said Rath Yatra festival appeared to cater to VIPs. "I am not claiming that the stampede occurred because of VIP darshan. Despite the barricade regulations, police were seen escorting certain high profile visitors within the barricaded zone, allowing them closer access to the chariots. Ordinary devotees struggled amidst overcrowding outside the fences," Sahu said. Sahu spoke of his children's distress and shock at their mother's death. "My 13-year-old son and 18-year-old daughter, who survived, are traumatised. They haven't stopped crying since seeing their mother's body. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is your tinnitus getting worse? Do this immediately (Watch) Hearing Magazine Undo Our family is devastated," said Sahu, a resident of Bolagarh area in Khurda district. Devotees expressed their desire for basic amenities, emphasising the need for effective crowd management and ease of darshan. Biswajit Das from Balianta area near Bhubaneswar, who lost his wife Prabhati (52) in the stampede, said, "We have no issues with VIP darshan system. It didn't result in the stampede. However, the complete neglect of common devotees is wrong. We were abandoned without police support." Devotees alleged that despite police presence near the chariots, they neither managed the crowd nor provided immediate assistance when the tragedy occurred. "The police response was abysmal and inadequate. Their numbers were insufficient and barely visible in the crowd," Das said. Denying the allegations, police said VIP darshan was not going on at the time of the stampede. "The unfortunate incident happened despite adequate police deployment," a senior police officer said. The govt said the high-level investigation team would examine all contributing factors behind the stampede. "The probe team will analyse all possible causes of the mishap and suggest actions to the govt. The administrative inquiry is expected to be completed within a month," law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said. The probe committee, headed by development commissioner Anu Garg, visited the stampede site near Gundicha Temple and launched the investigation. She held a discussion with senior officers including new Puri collector Chanchal Rana and SP Pinak Mishra.
Time of India
29-06-2025
- Time of India
Eyewitnesses, survivors blame police inaction for stampede
Bhubaneswar/Puri: Survivors and eyewitnesses of the stampede that left three devotees dead in front of Gundicha Temple in Puri on Sunday alleged that police personnel ran to save their own lives instead of rescuing the fallen victims. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "I watched in horror as police officers fled to protect themselves. My wife was unconscious, and I had to carry her to the hospital with help from other devotees. Police authorities who should have protected us were nowhere to be found," said Dilip Sahu, husband of deceased Prabhati Sahu from Khurda district. The stampede occurred between 4 and 4.30am when thousands of devotees had gathered for darshan of the deities in front of the chariots, which had arrived in front of Gundicha Temple on Saturday, a day after Rath Yatra. Survivors described a scene of utter chaos as the crowd surge became uncontrollable. According to eyewitnesses, there were no responders at the spot to deal with the situation, despite the govt's series of mock drills conducted before the festival. "There were hardly any police personnel visible despite the massive crowd. It was a Sunday, and the flow of devotees was growing. When people started falling and screaming, there was no organised response. We were completely on our own," said Abhijit Das, husband of deceased devotee Prabhati Das of Nayapalli area in Bhubaneswar. Parikhita Mishra, an eyewitness from Dhenkanal who narrowly escaped, blamed the administration for allowing two trucks carrying additional wooden ladders for the chariots. "The space in front of the chariots was already packed. But two trucks passed through, further squeezing the area and leading to the stampede. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now There were no cops to streamline the truck movement," Mishra said. Prasanjit Makahud, another survivor, said, "Some wooden logs were kept on the ground in front of the chariots. Many devotees stood on them to catch a clear glimpse of the deities. The logs were slippery due to the rain. Some devotees slipped and fell." A resident and regular temple-goer Santosh Das pointed out the systemic failure in crowd management. "Every year, we see huge crowds during festivals, yet the police authorities never learn. There were a handful of policemen for thousands of devotees. How can they possibly maintain order?" asked Das.
