Bhubaneswar: Puri’s titular king Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb on Sunday expressed shock over the stampede during the Rath Yatra and appealed to the Odisha Government to immediately conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the incident.
In a statement issued by his office, the Gajapati Maharaja said he was “shocked and deeply saddened” by the tragic incident that claimed the lives of three devotees and left several others injured late Saturday night.
The titular king, who also serves as the chairman of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC), urged the state government to take appropriate and immediate measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
“Shree Gajapati Maharaja has appealed to the State Government to carry out a prompt and comprehensive inquiry into this most unfortunate incident and to take proper and immediate steps to prevent the recurrence of such events,” the press release stated.
