Lord Balabhadra Pahandi mishap: 3-Member committee begins probe

Probe into Lord Balabhadra's Pahandi mishap on ‘Charamala’, while being taken off His Taladhwaja chariot to the ‘Adapa Mandap’ of Gundicha temple in ‘goti pahandi’ during the last Rath Yatra in Puri, began on Tuesday.

The three-member committee comprising an Additional District Magistrate, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Chief Administrator and a Deputy Superintendent of Police are carrying out the investigation. 

Badagrahi of Lord Balabhadra, Khuntia servitors, Pratihari servitors, JTP, SJTA Chief Administrator and senior Daitapati servitors were questioned as part of the investigation process. SJTA Chief Administrator attended the session virtually.

After the unfortunate incident during the last Rath Yatra in Puri, there was widespread outrage among the devotees across the globe against the servitors for their alleged negligence that led to the mishap.

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Subsequently, the probe committee was formed to submit its inquiry report within 10 days of ‘Niladri Bije’ which was conducted on July 19. However, devotees are dismayed that the probe into the incident only began today.

Notably, as many as seven servitors were injured in the mishap during the ‘Pahandi Bije’ ritual.