Bhubaneswar: Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary Anu Garg on Wednesday held a hearing at the Special Circuit House in Puri as part of the ongoing inquiry into the June 29 stampede near the Gundicha Temple that claimed three lives during the Rath Yatra.
“Statements of officials from the Shree Jagannatha Temple Administration (SJTA), Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC), and police personnel deployed on duty on June 29 have been recorded. A total of 42 officials attended today’s hearing. Earlier, statements of 40 officials were recorded yesterday, 48 in Puri earlier, and 17 in Bhubaneswar,” said Anu Garg while speaking to the media.
She added that the inquiry process is progressing steadily and will conclude soon.
Prior to the hearing, Garg conducted an on-site inspection of the stampede location near the Gundicha Temple. She was accompanied by the Puri Collector, the Superintendent of Police, and the Chief Administrator of SJTA. Preliminary discussions were held with police personnel, temple servitors, and members of the media.
The stampede, which occurred during the peak of Rath Yatra festivities, led to the death of three devotees. The inquiry committee has urged individuals with any information or video footage related to the incident to submit it via email to puritragedy.enquiry@odisha.gov.in by July 20.
