Probe into attack on Puri priests

PURI: The State Government on Saturday ordered an inquiry into alleged police excesses on a section of priests of Jagannath Temple.The Puri Additional District Magistrate will head the probe committee comprising two representatives of priests, Revenue Divisional Commissioner P K Mohapatra said. The committee is scheduled to submit its report by August 31.Ten priests were reportedly beaten up by police on July 4, a day after the Rath Yatra, in front of the temple after a ‘sevayat’ allegedly attacked a police constable for stopping him from helping his guests climb the chariot through an exit route. Following the incident, the priests had staged a symbolic hunger strike in front of Gundicha Temple demanding transfer of some senior government officials and stopped the rituals. As a result, idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra remained stranded on the chariots for a day before being taken into Gundicha Temple on July 5.“We had immediately suspended four policemen and the State Government expressed regret over the matter,” Puri Collector Fakir C Satpathy said. On Saturday, the servitors sat on a dharna in front of Gundicha Temple demanding Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s intervention in the matter. Stating that suspension of four police personnel was not enough, the servitors demanded stringent action against all the cops involved in the incident.The dispute between the priests and the administration was, however, resolved at a meeting on Saturday evening chaired by Law Secretary Debabrata Das.  After an assurance that the inquiry report will be submitted by August-end, the servitors called off their agitation. All Bahuda rituals will be completed on time, the servitors said.