Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has initiated action against seven police officers and a private technology company due to the failures that resulted in a stampede in Puri, which led to the deaths of three individuals and injuries to 20 others, according to official sources on Saturday. The Additional Secretary in the Home department recently sent a letter to the DGP stating that the actions would follow the recommendations from the inquiry led by Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary Anu Garg regarding the stampede incident that occurred near the Shree Gundicha temple during the Rath Yatra on June 29 this year. Garg’s report was submitted to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who oversees the Home department, on July 31.
The stampede happened around 4 am on June 29, as two trucks delivering wood for rituals entered the area in front of the chariots near the Shree Gundicha temple, resulting in the fatalities of three people, including two women, and injuring 20 others. The investigation identified lapses by several police officials: Ajay Kumar Padhi, Commandant of OSAP 3rd Battalion in Koraput; Vishnu Prasad Pati, DCP (HQ) in Bhubaneswar–Cuttack; Tapas Ranjan Das, Commandant of SSMSV in Puri; K K Nayak, Deputy Commandant of SSMSV in Puri; Prasanta Kumar Sahoo, DSP City in Puri; Susanta Kumar Sahoo, IIC at Kumbharapada Police Station; and Sarada Prasad Dash, Commandant of OSAP 8th Battalion in Chhatrapur.
The inquiry revealed that the two senior officers responsible for crowd management, Padhi and Pati, were not present at the scene during the stampede, despite their obligation to oversee the crowd near the chariots. Their negligence and failure to fulfill their duties were confirmed by the inquiry.
