Police arrests 6 temple servitors in media attack case

Five more servitors were arrested today for allegedly attacking media persons leading to disruption of Lord Jagannath's Niladri Bije ritual for over an hour on Sunday here, Puri SP Sarthak Sarangi said.
The servitors were identified as Bapi Khuntia, Shankar Palankdhari, Bipin Patri, Papun Mohapatra and Baban Khuntia. The police had arrested one Madan Khuntia yesterday.
The servitors who have been booked under different sections of IPC including 307 (attempt to murder) had allegedly attacked media persons as they showed live one Damodar Mahasuar taking his daughter onto the chariots by defying the Orissa High Court's ban.
Besides attacking the media persons, the servitors also broke video camera of certain television channels.

Meanwhile, one lady assistant sub-inspector (ASI) today lodged another FIR at Simhadwar police station against servitors who allegedly misbehaved with her during the Niladri Bije rituals.
Puri collector Arvind Agarwal has also lodged two FIRs with SP Sarthak Sarangi against six servitors who had misbehaved and abused him using foul language and threatened to kill him during the ritual. The servitors against whom the FIRs have been lodged include Damodar Mahasuara, Jayakrushna Mahasuara, Bhimsen Palankdhari, Rabi Das, Ipsit Pratihari and Saina Khuntia.