Police case against three for violating HC restriction

Puri: Police today registered a case against three persons, including two priests, on the charge of allowing a woman to climb Lord Jagannath's chariot violating a restriction imposed by Orissa High Court.

The case was registered based on a written complaint filed by Shree Jagannth Temple Administration (SJTA).

Three persons against whose names complaints had been registred were identified as Lord Jagannath's "Badagrahi" Jagannath Swain Mohapatra, "Pratihari" servitor Artatran Pratihari and a local woman Padmini Patra, said Puri additional superintendent of police Jagannth Pradhan.

Both Swain Mohapatra and Pratihari were accused of helping the woman to climb Lord Jagannath's chariot 'Nandighosh' at Gundicha temple during the recent Rath Yatra here despite a ban on it, he said.

The temple administration in its complaint said the the woman devotee climbed the chariot with help of two priests by violating the High Court's ruling that no devotee should be allowed to climb the chariots and touch the deities during the annual festival.

"Pratihari" servitor, according to the complant, had taken Patra along with him on to the chariot on July 21 while Swain Mohapatra was present at the spot but did not oppose it.

Earlier, the SJTA had suspended Pratihari and served the show-cause notice to Swain Mohapatra.