Vadodara: The annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, which commenced from Vadodara Railway Station, concluded peacefully and in an orderly manner with thousands of devotees participating in the procession. But amid this grand spiritual event, a tragedy unfolded when a police constable on duty suddenly fell ill and later passed away during treatment.
The deceased officer, Naresh Harjibhai Rathwa, 38, was originally from Kwant in Chhota Udepur district and had been serving at Harni Police Station in Vadodara for the past two years. During his duty in the Rawpura Police Station area as part of the Rath Yatra security arrangements, he experienced sudden uneasiness and vomiting. He was immediately rushed to Sayaji Hospital, but despite medical efforts, he could not be saved. Preliminary reports suggest he suffered a heart attack.
Naresh Rathwa is survived by his wife and two children. His sudden demise has sent waves of grief through the police force, with senior officers rushing to Sayaji Hospital upon hearing the news. His body has been sent for postmortem and will be handed over to the family after the procedure.
The Rath Yatra covered a route starting from Vadodara Railway Station, passing through key city locations including Kalaghoda, Salatwada Naka, Kothi Char Rasta, Rawpura Main Road, Jubilee Baug, Padmavati Shopping Centre, Sur Sagar, Dandia Bazaar, Khanderao Market, Nyay Mandir, Madan Zapa, and Kevdabaug before culminating at the Polo Ground.
To ensure a safe and peaceful yatra, a comprehensive security plan was implemented. The seven-kilometer route was monitored using municipal and private CCTV cameras. Over 70 officers were equipped with body-worn cameras. The security team included 9 DCPs, 13 ACPs, over 100 PIs and PSIs, approximately 600 traffic personnel and members of the traffic brigade, more than 1,000 police officers, three SRP companies, and over 1,000 home guards, totaling more than 3,000 security personnel deployed on the ground.