Woman surrenders to court for climbing Lord Jagannath chariot

A court today granted bail to a woman who surrendered to it two days after registration of a case against her and two other persons for climbing the chariot of Lord Jagannath during Nabakalebara Rath Yatra.
Soon after Padmini Patra, wife of a hotelier, surrendered before the Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM), the court granted her bail on a personal bond of Rs 20,000.
On August 18, Odisha Police had registred a case against her and two priests on the charge of helping the woman in climbing Lord Jagannath's chariot by violating a restriction imposed by the Orissa High Court.

The case was registered at Kumbharpada Police Station based on a written complaint filed by Shree Jagannth Temple Administration (SJTA).
The three against whom complaint had been registered were identified as Lord Jagannath's 'Badagrahi' Jagannath Swain Mohapatra, 'Pratihari' servitor Artatran Pratihari and Padmini Patra.
Both Swain Mohapatra and Pratihari were accused of helping Padmini Patra to climb Lord Jagannath's Nandighosh chariot at the Gundicha temple during the recent Rath Yatra here despite a ban on it, Additional SP Jagannth Pradhan said.

The temple administration had in its complaint mentioned that Padmini Patra climbed the chariot with the 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 onto the chariot on July 21 while Swain Mohapatra, though present at the spot, did not oppose it.
Earlier, SJTA had suspended Pratihari and served a show-cause notice to Badagrahi Swain Mohapatra.