Odisha's Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan announced that an administrative inquiry into the recent stampede during the Puri Rath Yatra will be completed within 30 days. The tragic incident, which occurred near the Shree Gundicha Temple in Puri during an early morning ceremony, resulted in the deaths of three people and injuries to 50 others.
Development Commissioner Anu Garg will lead the inquiry and submit a report to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi within the stipulated timeframe. Minister Harichandan has assured that the state government will take strict action against anyone found responsible for the incident.
Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) of Puri, Kishore Satapathy, reported that all the injured individuals were discharged from the hospital by 8 p.m. on the day of the incident, confirming that they were in stable condition. The deceased have been identified as Basanti Sahu (36) of Bolagarh, Pravati Das (45) of Balipatna, and Prema Kant Mohanty (78) of Khurda.
The stampede occurred around 4-4:20 am at Saradhabali when a vehicle carrying ritual materials reportedly entered the crowd. Eyewitnesses claimed a lack of adequate police arrangements and officials to manage the large number of pilgrims. The situation spiraled out of control when the "pahada bhanga" rituals commenced, leading to a surge of devotees eager to see the deities on the chariots.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed his condolences and termed the incident as "unforgivable negligence". He immediately ordered an investigation into the security lapses and directed exemplary action against those responsible. The state government has also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh for the families of the deceased.
The state government has taken immediate action by transferring Puri Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain and SP Vinit Agarwal. Chanchal Rana has been appointed as the new collector, and Pinak Mishra, who previously served as SP, has replaced Agarwal. Additionally, two senior police officers, DCP Bishnu Pati and Commandant Ajay Padhi, have been suspended for "dereliction in duty".
The incident has drawn criticism from opposition leaders. Former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) criticized the state government for poor crowd management during the festival. He stated that eyewitnesses reported the absence of government machinery to manage the surging crowds. Patnaik also slammed the delay in pulling the Nandighosa chariot on Rath Yatra day, calling the administration's explanation a "shocking excuse".
Youth Congress activists protested at the Chief Minister's residence, demanding the resignation of CM Mohan Charan Majhi and Law Minister P Harichandan. There was a brief scuffle between the protestors and police personnel, and the agitators were later detained. Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal expressed grief over the incident and emphasized the need for the state administration to prevent such incidents in the future.
Authorities acknowledged that this year's Rath Yatra had 1.5 times the usual number of attendees. Sources indicated that the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration had decided to conduct the Adapa Mandap Bije rituals on Sunday, resulting in the deities remaining on the chariots overnight. This decision led to a sudden influx of pilgrims for early morning darshan, overwhelming the security and crowd control measures.
