Puri: After Sunday’s assault by servitors on a devotee from Maharashtra, which happened at the Bhitara Katha of the Puri Jagannath temple, the temple administration (SJTA) has decided to keep closer tabs on activities of devotees as also the sevayats during the darshan.
Pradip Das, Niti Prasasak of the temple, said the temple administration would take a serious view of the assault. “To ensure that no such incident would take place again, the temple administration has decided to install CCTV cameras near the Bhitara Katha inside the main temple to keep a watch on the devotees and the sevayats,” Das said.
He, however, said the CCTV will be shut down during the rituals for the Lords. Once the rituals are completed, it will be switched on.
As per the victim, Chetan G Amolkar from Thane near Mumbai, he along with his family had been to the temple for darshan. A group of servitors demanded big money by way of ‘dakshina’ for offering prayer to the deities. When he refused to pay the amount, an argument followed. The servitors thrashed him and snatched away his gold pendant. The servitors also manhandled his wife, he said.
Meanwhile, the Chhatisha Nijog (Body of servitors) Monday suspended two sevayats, Somanath Mekap and Madan Khuntia, for assaulting Chetan and manhandling his wife. Besides, the temple administration has relieved these two sevayats of their duties for an indefinite period.
