PURI: Eight persons were on Sunday arrested by Singhadwar police and Town police for their alleged involvement in violence during Puri bandh on October 3. With this, the total number of those arrested in connection with the violence, has gone up to 73. While the Town police arrested six of the accused, Singhadwar police nabbed two. They were forwarded to the court of sub-divisional judicial magistrate which remanded them in judicial custody. They were booked for arson, damaging public property, loot and violence during Puri bandh.
Hundreds of persons were named in the 17 complaints filed by Singhadwar and Town police. The CCTV footage and live coverage of the incident at various places of Badadanda by the electronic media have come handy for the police to identify the anti-socials engaged in the violence.
Several police teams besides those in plain clothes, were deployed to nab the anti- socials. Besides, police officers also went after those who led the violence and engaged anti-socials and drug addicts to create mayhem.
Police gathered evidence and identified six servitors who had planned violence a day before the bandh.
The leaders who gave the bandh call had gone into hiding and efforts are on to nab them at the earliest, sources informed.
Widows given financial assistance
Puri: Financial assistance of `1,000 each was given to widows of servitor community for observing month-long Kartika brata by the chief administrator of Sri Jagannath temple recently. This is in addition to the pension which is given to 268 widows of servitors’ families by Jagannath Temple Administration.