Bhubaneswar: Development Commissioner Anu Garg has submitted an inquiry report to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi regarding the unfortunate stampede near Sri Gundicha Temple in Puri during Rath Yatra 2025. The stampede occurred on June 29, resulting in the deaths of three devotees and injuring many others.
Anu Garg’s inquiry involved interacting with over 60 people and officials, whose statements were recorded during the investigation. The Development Commissioner met the Chief Minister at Lok Seva Bhawan to submit the report.
The government will now consider the report’s findings and decide on the course of action to be taken. A special team, led by the Development Commissioner and comprising four OAS officers, was formed to investigate the incident. The team members included Manas Ranjan Samal, Binay Kumar Dash, Rashmi Ranjan Nayak, and Pradeep Kumar Sahu.
The stampede occurred in Puri’s Shardhabali area on June 29, during the early morning hours. The incident resulted in the deaths of three devotees, and many others were injured and admitted to the Puri District Headquarters Hospital. The state government had formed a special team to investigate the incident and determine its causes.