Puri Stampede Lapses: Odisha govt orders action against 7 police officers
Puri: The Odisha government has recommended disciplinary action against seven senior police officers and decided to blacklist a private technology firm for alleged negligence during the June 29, 2025, Gundicha Temple stampede which claimed three devotees lives and several others injured during the annual Rath Yatra festival in Puri.
In an official communication, the Home (Special Section) Department said the government has accepted the findings of the probe led by the Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary (Planning & Coordination), which cited serious lapses in police supervision, poor coordination with the temple administration and failure of the AI-based Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC).
The officers found negligent police officers
- Ajay Kumar Padhi, Commandant, OSAP 3rd Battalion, Koraput
- Vishnu Prasad Pati, DCP (HQ), Commissionerate Police, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack
- Tapas Ranjan Das, Commandant, SSMSV, Puri
- K.K. Nayak, Deputy Commandant, SSMSV, Puri
- Prashant Kumar Sahoo, DSP, Puri City
- Susanta Kumar Sahoo, Officer-in-Charge, Kumbharapada Police Station
- Sarada Prasad Dash, Commandant, OSAP 3rd Battalion, Chatrapur
During enquiry, they found that the two senior-most officers incharge of crowd management Padhi and Pati were absent from the ground and did not take adequate steps for crowd management. They both are already under suspension. The DGP has been asked to initiate proceedings against them under Rule 15 of the Odisha Civil Services (CCA) Rules, 1962.
The police allowed the movement of vehicles carrying decorative wooden materials through densely packed areas filled with devotees. The entry of these trucks triggered panic and a sudden stampede outside the Gundicha Temple.
The government has decided to blacklist M/s Invent Grid India Pvt Ltd, the ICCC vendor, for failing to deliver the mandated services. Disciplinary action has also been recommended against Commandant Sarada Prasad Dash, for failing to alert authorities despite visible crowd congestion on live feeds.
Of the 275 cameras sanctioned under the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) in Puri, only 123 were functional at the time of the incident.
