Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Puri, Jul 25:

The Singhadwara police today arrested a servitor of Sri Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s Puri in connection with the alleged attack on media persons by sevayats during Niladri Bije ritual of Lord Jagannath and his siblings.

attack-on-journalists

The accused servitor was identified as Madhusudan Khuntia, sources said.

Police had earlier arrested six sevayats-- Madan Khuntia, Bapi Khuntia, Shankar Palankdhari, Bipin Patri, Papun Mohapatra and Baban Khuntia-- for their alleged involvement in the incident.

It may be recalled that pahandi of Lord Sudarshan was delayed on the day of Niladri Bije after 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.

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.