Niladri Bije fiasco: Bail hearing of 9 servitors postponed

Puri: The Additional District Sessions court of Puri today postponed the hearing on the bail plea of nine servitors, who were arrested for creating a ruckus during the Niladri Bije ritual of lord Jagannath and his siblings on July 17.

According to sources, the hearing on their bail plea is now scheduled to be taken up on August 6.

Twelve servitors have been arrested for the unsavoury incident on Niladri Bije night that saw servitors grappling with and assaulting media persons and Puri collector Arvind Agarwal. Out of six servitors arrested for misbehaving with the district collector, three have applied for bail.

The hearing was scheduled for August 2, which was later rescheduled for August 4th after Sinhadwar Police sought more time to submit the case diary in this connection.

On the other hand, servitors Damodar Mahasuar, Jayakrushna Mahasuar, Saina Khuntia, Bhimsen Palankdhari, Ipsit Pratihari, Rabi Dash and two suspended servitors Kashinath Khuntia and Bhagirathi Khuntia against whom non-bailable warrants have been issued, are still untraceable.

Three of them have applied for anticipatory bail in the Orissa High Court.