HC asks fugitive Puri servitor to surrender, grants him relief

Fugitive servitor Damodar Mahasuhar of Jagannath Temple at Puri was today directed by the Orissa High Court to appear before the investigating officer and cooperate in the probe into cases of assault on journalists and threatening the district collector in which he has been booked.
Justice B K Nayak, however, gave an interim protection to the beleaguered servitor by ordering stay of the execution of a non-bailable arrest warrant (NBW) issued against him.
The high court also stayed the proceedings initiated against him by Puri police to proclaim him as an 'absconder' and attachment of his properties under section 82 and 83 of CrPC.

After his anticipatory bail was rejected by the high court in August, Damodar had again approached it with a plea to quash the subsequent proceedings initiated against him by police.
Observing that it was "premature" to prosecute Damodar under section 82 and 83 of CrPC, the high court today gave temporary relief to him, but nevertheless asked him to surrender before the IO in the case.
In a related development, the additional district judge court of Puri on the day granted bail to another temple servitor Saina Khuntia.
Khuntia was granted bail for a bail bond of Rs 30,000 and two sureties of like amount. The Puri court has also set other general conditions on Khuntia while allowing his bail application.