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OHRC seeks report on ‘yatra’ stampede

CUTTACK: The Orissa Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has sought a detailed report from the State government after taking suo motu cognisance of July 4 stampede incident during the Puri rath yatra in which six devotees died and several others sustained injuries.

Basing on news paper reports, which prima facie suggest serious failure by the agencies to maintain law and order, commission chairman Justice R.K. Patra has asked the State home secretary to furnish the report within four weeks.

Delivering the order earlier this week, the chairman and the members of the commission comprising Himadri Mohapatra and S.M. Patnaik have adjourned the case.

The commission has taken note of the media reports which are suggestive of lapses by the authorities in conducting the ‘car festival’ smoothly. The commission has also taken serious view of certain reports which indicated that the police resorted to lathi-charge on the devotees for which the situation reportedly aggravated.

Allegations such as: “there were no senior police officer at the site of the stampede during the rush time, some police officers were taking photographs of the deities along with their relations and many senior police officers were collecting material from deities and chariots” have drawn the attention of the commission which believes that there was no administrative control over the police at the time of the tragedy.

The commission has also taken note of another report of a similar stampede which occurred on the Grand Road in the same evening in which a pregnant woman was trampled and seven persons, including a policeman and sevayat were injured.

The reported incident of some youths misbehaving with woman pilgrims by taking advantage of irresponsible conduct of the police has also shaken the commission.

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