Top servitors among 15 booked for Puri violence

Puri: Police today registered case against the protestors including some servitors in connection with violence against queue system at Srimandir here.

The cases were filed at Singhadwara Police Station against 15 key persons including Jagannath Sena convener Priyadarshan Patnaik and Daitapati and Congress leader Binayak Das Mohapatra under various sections of IPC , informed Puri SP Sarthak Sarangi.

Besides, servitors and BJP workers Somnath Khuntia and Bhawani Das Mohapatra, servitors Damodar Das Mohapatra, Damodar Mahasuar and Gopal Panda and lawyer Prasanna Dash were among the protestors who fuelled violence on Oct 3 in the pilgrim town. They all are booked at the police station following probe based on CCTV footage.

According to reports, total 23 persons were arrested so far for allegedly ransacking the public properties in the violence. As many as 46-47 protestors were identified based on CCTV footage.

Police initiated action to arrest and register cases against the protestors after the Supreme Court-appointed amicus curiae expressed displeasure over the temple administration for violence in holy place.

The Jagannath Sena activists, devotees and servitors had launched strike on Oct 3 protesting introduction of queue system at the centuries old Jagannath temple in Puri.

The mob vandalised the barricades on Grand Road, temple administration office and Revenue Minister Maheswar Mohanty’s residence opposing the system by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA).