Taking suo motto cognizance of the stampede incident that occurred at Saradhabali near Shree Gundicha Temple in Odisha’s Puri during the annual Rath Yatra festival in the early hours on June 29, the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has sought separate reports from the Chief Administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), the Puri district Collector, and Superintendent of Police.
The tragic event resulted in the death of three persons and left over fifty devotees injured. The suo motu public interest case at the Commission was taken up following a complaint filed by senior advocate Nishikant Mishra.
Acting upon the petition, the rights body on June 30 issued the order, directing the concerned authorities to submit their respective reports on the stampede incident by the next date of hearing scheduled on August 12.
“As the complaint is on public interest, this Division Bench takes cognisance of the matter and calls upon the Chief Administrator, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration, Puri, the Collector & District Magistrate, Puri and the Superintendent of Police, Puri to submit their respective reports on the issue by the next date positively,” stated the OHRC order.
The OHRC, in the order, also recommended the administration to take immediate remedial measures for the treatment of the persons who are stated to have been injured in the stampede.
Additionally, the commission ordered the temple administration, collector and SP of Puri district and all concerned officials to take all necessary steps to ensure that no such incident occurs during the remaining days of the Rath Yatra in Puri this year.
Following the tragic stampede in Puri, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi extended an apology to the devotees of Lord Jagannath and ordered an immediate investigation into the security lapses.
The Odisha government also transferred Puri District Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain and Superintendent of Police Vinit Agrawal.
Two other senior police officials – DCP Vishnu Pati and Commandant Ajay Padhee – have been placed under suspension for dereliction of duty. The government also immediately announced an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakhs each for the kin of the deceased devotees.
