Niladri Bije fiasco: Odisha HC grants conditional bail to Sanjay Khuntia

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Cuttack, Sep 28:

The Orissa High Court today granted conditional bail to Sanjay Khuntia, a servitor of the Sri Jagannath temple, who has been arrested for his alleged involvement in the disturbance during the Niladri Bije rituals of Lord Jagannath and his siblings this year.

A single-member bench of the High Court comprising of Justice J P Das while conducting a hearing on the bail plea of Sanjay directed the Puri Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrate’s Court of Puri to grant him conditional bail. The concerned lower court would impose conditions to release him on bail.

Sanjay had moved the High Court after his bail plea was rejected by the Puri Sessions Court.

It may be recalled here that some servitors had an altercation with the collector during the Niladri Bije rituals when he confronted them after the servitors and their kin alighted from the Taladhwaja chariot, in clear violation of High Court and Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) orders. The incident had led to the delay in the conduct of rituals and pahandi of Lord Sudarshan. In this connection, Sanjay was arrested by the Simhadwara police on July 23 this year.