Bhubaneswar: A probe panel led by Development Commissioner (DC)-cum-Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Anu Garg has recommended disciplinary action against six officials in connection with a stampede near Gundicha temple during this year’s Puri Rath Yatra.

The panel has recommended discplinary action against Puri Additional District Magistrate (ADM), Revenue, Sarat Chandra Mahapatra and five other officials for serious lapses that resulted in the stampede on June 29.

The other five officials are Puri Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) Ashok Kumar Behera, Puri District Social Welfare Officer (DSWO) Bibhuti Bhusan Nayak, Additional Tehsildar of Sukuru in Mayurbhanj Raj Kishore Jena, Additional Tehsildar of Gondia in Dhenkanal Soubhagya Kumar Mohanty and Dhenkanal Additional Collector Dayanidhi Patra.

Also Read: Puri stampede: Development Commissioner submits probe report to Odisha CM

These officials had been assigned the task of manning a control room, set up near the Gundicha temple, to manage crowd and prevent any untoward incident during the Rath Yatra.

The probe panel has found serious lapses on the part of these six officials and recommended discplinary action against them in accordance with the Odisha Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules-1962.

The officials have been asked to submit their objections within 30 days of receiving the communique in this regard from the authorities concerned.  

Disciplinary action had been recommended against 7 cops  

The authorities had earlier recommended discplinary action against seven senior police offers in connection with the June 29 stampede. The police officers are Ajay Kumar Padhi, Commandant, OSAP 3rd Battalion, Koraput; Vishnu Prasad Pati, DCP (Headquarters), Commissionerate Police; Tapas Ranjan Das, Commandant, SMSMV, Puri; KK Nayak, Deputy Commandant, SSMSV, Puri; Prasanta Kumar Sahoo, DSP City; Susanta Kumar Sahoo, IIC, Kumbharpada PS; and Sarada Prasad Dash, Commandant, OSAP 8th battalion, Chatrapur.

3 devotees were killed and 12 others were injured in the stampede

At least three devotees were killed and several others were injured in the stampede, that took place near Srigundicha temple a day after the Ratha Jatra at Odisha’s Puri town.

The stampede occurred when thousands of people congregated at Saradhabali near Srigundicha temple in the early hours of June 29 to have a glimpse of Lord Jagannath and his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra on their respective chariots.

Also Read: Here's what led to stampede near Gundicha temple in Puri

 Soon after the incident, the Odisha government transferred then Puri Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain and SP Vinit Agrawal. It also suspended two senior police officials for negligence of duty.

The Chief Minister apologized over the incident and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh each for the kin of the deceased devotees. The state government had directed the Development Commissioner to probe the incident and submit a detailed report at the earliest.