Odisha Police Officers Face Action Over Puri Stampede That Killed 3, Injured 20
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The Odisha government has launched a probe into the June 29 stampede in Puri that claimed three lives and left 20 others injured, resulting in the suspension of seven police officers and a private technology firm. According to an inquiry conducted by Development Commissioner cum Additional Chief Secretary Anu Garg, the stampede occurred near Shree Gundicha Temple during Rath Yatra in Puri when two trucks carrying wood for rituals entered the area. Garg's report, submitted to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on July 31, found lapses on the part of seven police officers, including Ajay Kumar Padhi, Vishnu Prasad Pati, and Tapas Ranjan Das, who were absent from the spot when the stampede took place. Their negligence and dereliction of duty are confirmed in the inquiry. The report also highlighted serious deficiencies in the AI-based surveillance and crowd monitoring system installed under the Integrated Command and Control Centre in Puri. Only 123 out of 275 sanctioned cameras were operational, leaving several key zones unsupervised. As a result, the Home department has recommended disciplinary proceedings against the officers and blacklisting the ICCC vendor. The government has already placed the two senior-most officers in charge of crowd management under suspension.
