Odisha High Court declines to intervene in Rath Yatra

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha High Court on Tuesday disposed off a writ petition pertaining to the ensuing Rath Yatra at Puri declining to intervene in the matter at this stage.

A Division Bench of the High Court headed by Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq took the decision after Advocate General Ashok Parija informed the court that the Government would take an appropriate decision looking at the prevailing situation at Puri during the time of the Rath Yatra on June 23.

Meanwhile, the Law Department in an affidavit in the HC has stated that initially the district of Puri was placed in the green zone. By May 1, the number of reported Covid-19 cases in Puri was one. Thereafter there has been a steady increase in the cases in Puri and on June 7, the number stood at 108. So, Puri is now classified as a high risk zone.

The affidavit added that the Government is constantly monitoring the situation; and any decision on holding of the Rath Yatra would be taken on the basis of an objective situation on the relevant date.

Comments are closed.