Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Puri, Jul 27:

Eight servitors of Sri Jagannath Temple in Odisha's Puri, who are accused of heckling the District Collector during the Niladri Bije rituals, were today declared as absconders by police, informed Puri SP Sarthak Sarangi.

absconders

Posters bearing the photographs of the accused sevayats have been issued, the SP said.

Servitors Damodar Mahasuara, Jayakrushna Mahasuara, Saina Khuntia, Bhimsen Palankadhari, Ipsit Pratihari, Rabi Dash, Kashinath Khuntia and Bhagirathi Khuntia have been declared as absconders, Sarangi said.

"Posters with photographs of eight servitors have been issued as they are avoiding arrest. We will ask the State Crime Branch to circulate the posters as they might have gone outside the state," the SP said.

Out of the eight servitors, the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) court here had issued non-bailable warrants (NBWs) against six sevayats on July 25. The rest two servitors-- Kashinath and Bhagirathi-- were identified by police after examining CCTV footage.

On the other hand, Bhimsen Palankadhari filed an anticipatory bail plea in the Orissa High Court, today.

In a related development, the Singhadwar police today arrested two servitors-- Brundaban Pujapanda and Suryanarayan Pujapanda-- for allegedly misbehaving with the district collector.

Puri Collector Arvind Agarwal had on July 18 forwarded two complaints to the district SP Sarthak Sarangi naming six sevayats for their alleged role in creating disturbance during the conduct of Niladri Bije rituals.

The Collector while naming sevayats Damodar Mahasuara, Ipsit Pratihari, Saina Khuntia, Jayakrushna Mahasuara, Bhimsen Palankadhari and Rabi Das in his complaints, had accused them of misbehavior, hurling of abuses and death threat.

It may be recalled that some sevayats had an altercation with the collector during the Niladri Bije ritual 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.