Overview

• Two days of public hearings in Bhubaneswar and Puri have yielded statements from 65 people, including Jagannath Temple servitors.
• Witnesses described a sudden rush when the Pahuda cloth was removed for the Mangal Aarti, causing the June 29 stampede that killed three and injured over 50.
• On the day of the tragedy, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi launched the 30-day administrative probe, ordered transfers and suspensions of local officials and announced ex-gratia payments for victims’ families.
• Opposition parties Biju Janata Dal and Congress have called for a parallel judicial investigation, questioning the adequacy of the roughly 10,000 security personnel deployed during the festival.
• Results from the inquiry will inform proposed enhancements to crowd-control measures ahead of next year’s Rath Yatra celebrations.