Puri collector assault: Servitor arrested

Puri, July 22: A servitor of Jagannath Temple has been arrested for allegedly misbehaving with Puri collector Arvind Agarwal during the Niladri Bije of the deities on Sunday.

The arrested servitor has been identified as Surya Naryan Pratihari.

Puri collector Arvind Agarwal had lodged two FIRs with the SP Sarthak Sarangi against the six servitors, who had allegedly abused him and even threatened to kill him during Niladri Bije of the deities on Sunday.

The six servitors against whom the FIRs have been lodged by the District Collector are Damodar Mahasuara, Jayakrushna Mahasuara, Bhimsen Palankdhari, Rabi Das, Ipsit Pratihari and Saina Khuntia.

Agarwal, who was present at the site during the ritual, objected to Damodar Mahasuara who was taking his daughter onto the chariots defying an Orissa High Court order.

The High Court in 2014 had ordered that none other than the authorised servitors could climb the chariots. Apart from taking his daughter to the chariots, Mahasuara also provoked others to take law into hands.

OneIndia News