PURI: As many as 13 persons including a few Jagannath temple servitors were arrested on Monday for their involvement in violence during Puri bandh on October 3. The bandh was called in protest against queue system in the temple.
While eight accused were arrested by the Town police, five were apprehended by Simhadwar police. The arrested persons were produced before the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate and remanded to judicial custody. With the recent arrests, the number of persons apprehended in this connection has increased to 54.
In the wake of the violence, the Director General of Police had directed the cops to take stringent action against the culprits. A number of special teams were formed to nab the anti-socials involved in the crime. Police teams were also sent to Cuttack and Bhubaneswar to nab the masterminds behind the violence.
Meanwhile, interrogation of the arrested accused persons has revealed that the violence was sponsored by a number of influential and powerful persons who spent lakhs of rupees to create mayhem during the bandh. While police are yet to reveal their names, efforts are on to gather more evidence.
SI suspended for clicking pics in temple
SP Sarthak Sarangi on Monday placed Sub-Inspector of Sea Beach police station Dilip Kumar Panda under suspension for taking photographs on the Baisi Pahacha of Jagannath temple. Panda, while performing Sraadha (offerings to ancestors) on the Baisi Pahacha of the temple, took pictures and posted it on social media which later went viral. Questions were raised on how the police officer was allowed to take pictures in the temple which is a prohibited area.
Judicial probe sought
Former Union Minister and president of Samata Kranti Dal Braja Kishore Tripathy on Sunday condemned the violence during Puri bandh. He said it was the handiwork of local MLA and Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Maheswar Mohanty whose supporters were involved in the violence and later, stage managed the attack on his house to get sympathy of voters. Tripathy demanded a judicial probe into the incident.