Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Puri, Jul 18:

A servitor of Sri Jagannath Temple in Odisha's Puri was arrested in connection with the alleged attack on media persons by sevayats during Niladri Bije ritual of Lord Jagannath and his siblings yesterday, informed Director General of Police (DGP) KB Singh today.

reporter attack

Another servitor is likely to be arrested, the top cop added.

Notably, certain rituals were held up for a while leading to delay in the pahandi of Lord Sudarshan yesterday as a young woman was seen on Taladhwaja, the chariot of Lord Balabhadra, despite ban imposed by the Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) on climbing atop of chariots by devotees or anyone other than sevayats (servitors). Sources said, the young woman is the daughter of a sevayat. Similarly, three girls were also seen atop Nandighosha, the chariot of Lord Jagannath.

Following the incident, some working journalists were allegedly manhandled by the sevayats in the presence of police while they were trying to ascertain from the Nayak of Chhattisha Nijoga regarding the reason leading to the delay in the pahandi. The scribes had lodged a complaint at Singhadwara police station in this regard.