Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Cuttack, July 29:

With the Odisha police declaring the eight servitors of Lord Jagannath temple as absconders for allegedly heckling the District Collector during the Niladri Bije rituals, two more accused today moved Orissa High Court seeking anticipatory bail.

absconders

The servitors— Ipsit Pratihari and Bhagirathi Khuntia— today filed the anticipatory bail application in the High Court to evade arrest.

Earlier, four servitors— Damodar Mahasuara, Jayakrusna Mahasuara, Harinarayan Khuntia alias Saina Khuntia and Bhimsen Palankadhari— had filed anticipatory bail in the top court.

On Wednesday, Puri police declared servitors Damodar Mahasuara, Jayakrushna Mahasuara, Saina Khuntia, Bhimsen Palankadhari, Ipsit Pratihari, Rabi Dash, Kashinath Khuntia and Bhagirathi Khuntia as absconders. Out of the eight servitors, the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) court here had issued non-bailable warrants (NBWs) against six servitors on July 25.

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

The Collector while naming servitors 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 servitors 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.