The Supreme Court on July 7 dismissed petitions seeking permission to conduct Rath Yatras at various places other than Jagannath Puri in Odisha. The Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Puri is an annual ritual and this time, it is scheduled for July 12. The state has allowed rath yatra only at Jagannath Puri.

A bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana said that it would not interfere with the directions passed by the state government under the Disaster Management Act. "We are sorry. We also feel bad," the bench said.

The High Court order quotes: “These are extraordinary times in which not just Odisha but the entire country is barely recovering from the second wave of the deadly Covid pandemic. The measures and precautions taken by the State of Odisha have to be viewed in the said context. Consequently, this Court is not inclined to entertain any of the prayers in any of the above writ petitions, praying for permission to hold their respective Rath yatras/festivals on parity with the temple of Lord Jagannath at Puri."

Warning for tourists! IMD issues heavy rainfall alert at hill stations

Kerala: Security Guard found dead with bullet injuries at Kochi Naval base

Bangladesh: Human trafficking racket busted, 5 criminals arrested