The Odisha government has recommended disciplinary action against seven senior police officers, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), for their alleged negligence during the tragic Puri Rath Yatra stampede on June 29, 2025, near the Gundicha Temple. The incident claimed three lives and left several devotees injured.
Inquiry Finds Serious Crowd Management Failures
A high-level inquiry conducted by Development Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary (Planning & Coordination) Anu Garg revealed “serious lapses in crowd control and operational failure.”
According to the report, the AI-based surveillance and crowd monitoring systems installed under the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) in Puri did not function effectively during the festival. Out of 275 cameras sanctioned, only 123 were operational, leaving several key zones unsupervised.
The report also mentioned that senior officers were absent from critical locations and that ground personnel failed to manage crowd density near the chariots.
Negligence That Led to the Stampede
The inquiry found that police personnel allowed vehicles carrying wooden decorative materials to pass through a densely packed area filled with devotees. The unexpected entry of these trucks caused panic and a sudden rush near the Gundicha Temple, where thousands had assembled for the darshan of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra.
The report further noted that DSP Prashant Kumar Sahoo and Inspector-in-Charge (IIC) Susanta Sahoo of Kumbharapada Police Station failed to alert higher authorities about the swelling crowd and delayed opening of the temple’s ‘pahuda’ gates, delaying any preventive action by the district administration.
Officers Named in the Disciplinary Action
The Home Department, based on the inquiry’s findings, approved action against the following officials:
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Ajay Kumar Padhi, Commandant, OSAP 3rd Battalion, Koraput
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Vishnu Prasad Pati, DCP (HQ), Commissionerate Police, Bhubaneswar–Cuttack
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Tapas Ranjan Das, Commandant, SSMSV, Puri
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K.K. Nayak, Deputy Commandant, SSMSV, Puri
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Prashant Kumar Sahoo, DSP, Puri City
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Susanta Kumar Sahoo, Officer-in-Charge, Kumbharapada Police Station
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Sarada Prasad Dash, Commandant, OSAP 3rd Battalion, Chatrapur
These officers have been charged with dereliction of duty and negligence, following their inability to ensure crowd safety during one of Odisha’s most significant religious events.
Tragic Morning and Devotees’ Grief
The stampede occurred around 4:20 a.m. when devotees surged forward for early morning darshan at Gundicha Temple.
The deceased were identified as Prabhati Das, Basanti Sahu, and Premakanta Mohanty. Eyewitnesses reported that the sudden entry of two trucks carrying charamala materials through the dense crowd triggered panic.
Several devotees and families of the victims later alleged that the police were focused on VIP movement, ignoring warnings about overcrowding in the temple vicinity.
Government’s Next Steps
Officials confirmed that the Home Department has begun disciplinary proceedings under the Odisha Service Code. Further administrative reforms in crowd management, AI-based surveillance systems, and event coordination are expected before Rath Yatra 2026.
The government reiterated its commitment to ensuring devotee safety and accountability in all future religious gatherings.
