JAGATSINGHPUR: Tirtol Police have initiated ‘preventive action’ under Section 107 of CrPC against priests and sevayats of Sarala temple in Kanakpur of Jagatsinghpur district ahead of Rakhi Purnima on August 15. Tension has been prevailing in the temple for the last 15 days over the conflict between head priests - Ranjan Kumar Panda and Pragyandipta Panda - leading to disruption of temple rituals. Apprehending breach of peace in the temple on Rakhi Purnima, police imposed Section 107 on 52 sevayats and priests including the two head priests who allegedly created trouble in the temple. The Executive Magistrate-cum-Tehsildar has directed them to appear in the local court and execute bonds.
The Executive Magistrate of Tirtol, Sujata Patra said out of 52, 50 priests and sevayats have appeared before the court by Tuesday and executed a bond for a period of six months. Under Section 107, when an executive magistrate receives information that any person is likely to commit a breach of the peace, he can direct him to execute a bond with or without sureties for keeping the peace for a period, not exceeding one year, as the magistrate thinks fit.
Earlier this month, head priest Ranjan had filed a petition in the Endowment Commission for allowing him to perform rituals in Sarala temple. Ranjan stated that the head priest of the other group, Pragyandipta has been restraining him from performing rituals in the temple. Adjudicating the case, the Endowment Commission in May had ordered that keeping in view the tradition, custom and rituals, petitioners Ranjan along with the head of second group Pragyandipta are declared as head priests (Badapandas) of the deity having equal rights to perform all special rituals.
Endowment Commission had declared that special rituals performed by Badapanda would be rotated between the two head priests annually. On Chitalagi Amavasya, Ranjan was to perform special rituals on a rotation basis but the other group protested. This led to the disruption of rituals for a few days.