Puri: Police today began the process to confiscate the properties of absconding sevayats of Shri Jagannath temple for their complicity in the Niladri Bije incident in July this year.
Talking to media persons, Puri City DSP Pravat Rourtay said police had earlier applied to the court of the Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) to attach the property of the servitors who have absconded since the Niladri Bije incident. “Today we received the order from the court here to attach the property of Ipsit Pratihari, one of the absconding servitors. Acting on the directive of the court, we have sealed the Sharada Lodge and Mandap (Holding no-609) as per the information of the Puri Municipality.
To a question as to why the police took the step when the court had issued the order since November 5, the DSP said he has no knowledge about this. “But the copy of the order has been received by various offices, Municipality and Banks on November 17,” he informed.
Asked how the police will take care of the visitors who were staying at the Sharada Lodge and Mandap, he said apart from those visitors who will leave Puri today, arrangements have been made to facilitate the remaining visitors to leave them at their desired destinations in police vehicle.
Asked about how the police can attach the property especially the Sharada Lodge and Mandap as it the joint property of Ipsit and his brother, the DSP said the police has executed the order as per the directive of the court.
On the attachment of properties of other absconding servitors, he said the police cannot take any action as the matter is sub judice in the Orissa High Court.
Replying to a question, Ipsit’s brother Rajat Pratihari said the police had brought the order from the court without his knowledge. “Today, police showed me the order. All I can say that the police has illegally sealed Sharada Lodge and Mandap. Let the police do what it wants. But we will move the court against the illegal action by the police. If my brother has committed any crime, why I should be punished? Police is unilaterally taking action,” he added.
In the meanwhile, three senior advocates— Ashok Mohanty, Ashok Parija and Manas Mohapatra—met Puri Collector Arvind Agrawal this afternoon as per the directive of the Orissa High Court to amicably resolve the matter.
Sources said the Collector in his reply said no issues will come up if the servitors behave properly.
Notably, the Town Police had moved the SDJM court on September 16 for confiscation of movable and immovable properties of six absconding servitors— Damodar Mahasuara, Jayakrushna Mahasuara, Saina Khuntia, Rabi Das, Bhimsen Palankadhari and Ipsit Pratihari— under section 83 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).
Besides, the court had also directed the police to freeze the bank accounts of these servitors and seize their vehicles.
The court had declared the six servitors as absconders on July 27 for allegedly misbehaving with Puri Collector Arvind Agarwal and media persons during Niladri Bije rituals.
Police later arrested Rabi Dash in August.