Odisha Govt Initiates Action Against 7 Police Officers Over Puri Rath Yatra Stampede
Puri, November 8, 2025 — The Odisha government has initiated disciplinary proceedings against seven senior police officers, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), for alleged negligence during the tragic Puri Rath Yatra stampede on June 29, 2025.
The incident, which occurred near the Gundicha Temple, claimed three lives and left several devotees injured.
A high-level inquiry led by Development Commissioner Anu Garg found “serious lapses in crowd control and operational failure.” The report highlighted that only 123 of the 275 AI-enabled surveillance cameras were functional, leaving critical zones unmonitored.
Senior officers were reportedly absent from key locations, and ground personnel failed to manage crowd density near the chariots.
The stampede was triggered when two trucks carrying wooden decorative materials were allowed into a densely packed area, causing panic among thousands of devotees gathered for early morning darshan.
The deceased were identified as Prabhati Das, Basanti Sahu, and Premakanta Mohanty.
The report also noted that DSP Prashant Kumar Sahoo and Inspector-in-Charge Susanta Sahoo failed to alert higher authorities about the swelling crowd and delayed the opening of the temple’s ‘pahuda’ gates, hampering preventive measures.
The Home Department has approved disciplinary action against the following officers:
- Ajay Kumar Padhi, Commandant, OSAP 3rd Battalion, Koraput
- Vishnu Prasad Pati, DCP (HQ), Commissionerate Police
- Tapas Ranjan Das, Commandant, SSMSV, Puri
- K.K. Nayak, Deputy Commandant, SSMSV, Puri
- Prashant Kumar Sahoo, DSP, Puri City
- Susanta Kumar Sahoo, IIC, Kumbharapada Police Station
- Sarada Prasad Dash, Commandant, OSAP 3rd Battalion, Chatrapur
All have been charged with dereliction of duty under the Odisha Service Code.
The government has pledged to implement administrative reforms, upgrade AI-based surveillance, and strengthen crowd management protocols ahead of Rath Yatra 2026.
Officials reiterated their commitment to ensuring devotee safety and institutional accountability in future religious events.
