Niladri Bije fiasco: Odisha police initiates process to confiscate properties of absconding servitors

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Puri, Sep 13:

Odisha police today initiated process for confiscation of properties belonging to five servitors (sevayats) of Sri Jagannath temple who have gone absconding after the disturbance during the Niladri Bije rituals of Lord Jagannath and his siblings.

Puri Superintendent of Police Sarthak Sarangi has written to Puri Konark Development Authority (PKDA), Puri Sub Collector, Tehsildar and bank authorities seeking details of their properties, said a police official.

The absconding servitors are Damodar Mahasuara, Jayakrushna Mahasuara, Saina Khuntia, Bhimsen Palankadhari and Ipsit Pratijhari. These servitors have been declared absconders by the court. The court had ordered them to surrender before it by September 12.

“Since five absconding servitors did not surrender within the specified date (September 12), the process for attachment of their properties has been initiated.  We will move the Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM)’s court for attachment of their properties after getting details of the same from concerned agencies,” informed Jagannath Pradhan, ASP Puri.

“The court had declared six servitors as absconders. But out of them, Rabi Das was arrested by the police last month,” he added.

It may be recalled here that some sevayats had an altercation with Puri Collector Arvind Agarwal 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.