Odishatv Bureau

Bhubaneswar: The Orissa High Court today quashed the petition of Kashinath Das Mohapatra and his son Jaykrushna, both Daitapati servitors of Srimandir, challenging their suspension by Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) in connection with lapses in Brahma Paribartan rituals.

Reacting to the court order, Jaykrushna Das Mohapatra said, “I will challenge the order and move the higher court for justice.”

The father-son duo had moved the High Court challenging the SJTA decision after the later suspended them on June 28 under Section 21-B of the Shree Jagannath (Administration) Temple Act-1954 for creating chaos inside the temple leading to an inordinate delay in the Brahma Parivartan ritual of the deities.

Later, they were issued show-cause notices under Section 21-A of the Act asking them to reply within 30 days to the allegations levelled against them, failing which SJTA had threatened to take disciplinary action against them as per law.

On the other hand Sri Jagannath Temple Administration’s chief administrator Suresh Mohapatra has issued a letter to the district administration and asked the collector and superintendent of police to launch an investigation into the case where a woman devotee found climbing on to the chariot of Lord Jagannath with the help of a ‘Pratihari’ servitor.

Besides, Mohapatra also directed to find out the identity of the women devotee and suggested to file a criminal offence against her as she had dishonoured the verdict of High Court.

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