Servitors make peace initiative as Odisha police move court

Biswajeet Swain Published On : Jul 23, 2016 at 10:42 PM

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Puri, Jul 23:

With the police tightening noose around the errant servitors after the expiry of deadline yesterday, the peace committee formed by the servitors today moved the district administration urging not to initiate action against those not involved in the fracas and misbehaviour towards the District Collector during the Niladri Bije rituals on last Sunday.

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The delegation comprising of around 20 senior servitors met the District Collector and SP urging them to spare the innocent and take action against the delinquent servitors.

“The servitors expressed grief and condemned the incident for the misbehavior towards the Collector. It was decided that other things will be taken up in subsequent meetings,” senior servitor Binakay Das Mohapatra said.

On the other hand, the Puri police today applied for search warrants against the six servitors in the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) court on the basis of the complaint lodged by Puri Collector Arvind Agarwal. The Collector while naming servitors Damodar Mahasuara, Ipsit Pratihari, Saina Khuntia, Jayakrushna Mahasuara, Bhimsen Palankadhari and Rabi Das in his complaint, had accused them of misbehavior, hurling of abuses and death threat.

“Today, we have moved the SDJM Court seeking to declare them as absconders. We have come to know that some of them have moved the High Court seeking anticipatory bail. As it was High Court’s order and a case is already pending with it, we are mulling to move the High Court for rejection of their bail pleas,” Puri SP Sarthak Sarangi said.

Worth mentioning, Puri SP Sarthak Sarangi had yesterday informed that warrants will be issued against the accused servitors if they fail to surrender by midnight.

Notably, the Singhadwara police had yesterday arrested two servitors— Surya Narayan Pratihari and Rahgunath Khuntia— for allegedly misbehaving with the collector during Niladri Bije. Besides, 15 servitors were identified in connection with the incident after examination of CCTV footage. Out of the 15 servitors, two have already been arrested on charges of attacking media persons during the Niladri Bije ritual.

On the other hand, three servitors– Damodar Mahasuara, Jayakrusna Mahasuara and Harinarayan Khuntia– filed anticipatory bail plea in the Orissa High Court yesterday in a bid to avoid their arrest in connection with the incident.

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.

Moments later, the servitors had a scuffle with media persons while they were trying to ascertain from the Nayak of Chhattisha Nijoga regarding the reason leading to the delay in the pahandi.