Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government constituted a four-member team of Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) officers to assist Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary Anu Garg in the inquiry into the recent stampede incident near the Gundicha Temple in Puri.

The decision came shortly after the OAS Association reiterated its members would continue to remain on leave until their demands—including the arrest of Jagannath Pradhan for the assault on BMC Additional Commissioner Ratnakar Sahoo—are fulfilled.

The officers appointed to the inquiry team are: Manas Ranjan Samal, Joint Director of Estates and Additional Secretary, General Administration and Public Grievance (GA&PG) Department; Binaya Kumar Dash, Additional Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department; Rashmi Ranjan Nayak, Additional Secretary, Water Resources Department; and Pradip Kumar Sahoo, Additional Secretary, Works Department.

Dash and Sahoo are already stationed in Puri and will remain there till July 8. 

According to the GA and PG Department order, all four officers will perform this assignment in addition to their existing responsibilities.

The order further stated the officers will assist the inquiry by being present at the office of the Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary of the Planning and Convergence Department for two hours daily from 3 PM.

On June 29, the stampede occurred near the Gundicha Temple during the annual Rath Yatra festival, when a massive crowd had gathered for the darshan of Lord Jagannath and His siblings. The tragic incident resulted in the deaths of three devotees and left several others injured.