Niladri Bije fiasco: Odisha police moves court to confiscate properties of absconding servitors

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Puri, Sep 16:

Odisha police today moved the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM’s) Court here for the 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 police moved the court for confiscating moveable and immoveable properties of absconding servitors Damodar Mahasuara, Jayakrushna Mahasuara, Saina Khuntia, Bhimsen Palankadhari and Ipsit Pratijhari under section 83 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

These servitors were declared absconders by the court as they failed to surrender before it by September 12.

The police had sought details of properties of these servitors from different agencies including Puri Konark Development Authority (PKDA), Puri Sub Collector, Tehsildar , Puri Municipality and banks.

Sources said police in its submission to the court has given details of bank deposits, hotels, vehicles, lodging houses, land etc. within Puri and outside belonging to these servitors.

Puri SP Sarthak  Sarangi had on September 13 written to different concerned agencies seeking details of properties of these servitors.

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

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.