SJTA, Puri collector file affidavits before judicial panel

The Justice Raghubir Das Commission of Inquiry probing the missing keys of the Ratna Bhandar of Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri has received affidavits submitted by the chief administrator of the temple and the Puri District Collector.

Justice Das after holding the third sitting of the commission here today said it has received three more affidavits.

"The chief administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), Puri District Collector and one Raj Kumar Mohanty of Puri has submitted affidavits. The commission had earlier received four affidavits. After going through all the seven affidavits, the commission will decide to pass necessary orders within seven days," Justice Das said.

In April this year, the Puri district administration had informed the SJTA that the keys to the inner chamber of the Ratna Bhandar were missing following which the state government came under severe criticism.

The Odisha government set up the judicial commission on June 6 and asked it to submit its report within three months.