Puri: Frequent incidents of wrongdoings by Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) cops deployed at Srimandir here have put the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) in a tight spot.
According to observers and social activists, the state government as well as the SJTA has drawn flak from several quarters due to the misconduct of security personnel deployed at the 12th century shrine.
Hundreds of personnel belonging to Jagannath Temple Police (JTP), Odisha Special Armed Police (OSAP), Odisha police and IRB have been deployed at Srimandir to ensure smooth darshan for the devotees.
The SJTA controls the activities of JTP while the officials of Odisha police deployed at Srimandir come under the administrative control of Puri district police.
However, the crux of the matter is that the activities of IRB and OSAP jawans do not come under the SJTA and the district police.
“An assistant commandant controls the activities of IRB personnel deployed at Srimandir. The district police would have to inform the assistant commandant for taking disciplinary action against any IRB personnel for committing any kind of offense/misconduct,” said a source.
According to sources, an argument ensued between IRB personnel Bishwajit Parija and Bhitarchha servitor Bhabanishankar Mahapatra over entry of devotees into the shrine December 27, 2018. The duo attacked each other and two separate complaints were lodged with police. Subsequently, Parija was removed from temple duty.
Protesting the attack on Mahapatra, hundreds of servitors staged a dharna on Srimandir premises December 28 and as usual refused to perform the rituals. The presiding deities were not offered Prasad for 14 hours on that day. Moreover, hundreds of devotees returned home without having a darshan of the deities.
What is more regrettable and shameful is that an IRB jawan, Subarna Kisan, was found in a tipsy condition near the Jay-Bijay Gate of the temple. Soon Kisan was relieved of his duty for the day and a complaint was lodged with Singhadwar police, sources said.
On the very next day, IRB constable Sukesh Meher allegedly misbehaved with a minor girl while the latter was paying obeisance to the deities at inner barricade (Bhitara Katha). The victim’s family also lodged a complaint with Singhadwar police.
Later, district superintendent of police Sarthak Sarangi probed the incident and Meher was suspended from service after examination of the CCT footage. Later, he was also arrested in connection with the incident.
“Servitors, SJTA officials and security personnel must possess enough tolerance while performing duties at Srimandir. Otherwise, their small mistakes may earn disrepute to the shrine,” said heritage expert Surendra Mishra.
