Culprit Arrested But Several Questions In Jagannath Temple Kitchen Vandalism Case Still Remain Unanswered

Bhubaneswar: While Puri police claimed to have identified and arrested the person, who allegedly vandalised over 40 chulhas (earthen ovens) at Rosaghara of Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s Puri on Saturday night, the press briefing by Puri SP Kanwar Vishal Singh on Wednesday left several questions unanswered.

While it is a little difficult to digest that 30-year-old J Mahapatra ransacked the chulhas as he felt sombre and uneasy after visiting the 12th-century shrine, questions are being raised on how he managed to stay put on the premises so late into the night and also entered the Rosaghara, which was reportedly locked around 11.10 pm after preparation of Badasinghara bhog.

Though the SP said that the statement of the accused was weird and vague and further probe was on to ascertain the motive behind his action and how he entered the Rosaghara, he mentioned nothing about the crime weapon. It was earlier suspected that stoves were vandalised by 7-8 people using crowbars.

So, is it possible for a single person to damage around 40 chulhas? Did he carry the crime weapon with him or picked it up from the temple premises?

The SP, however, has ruled out the involvement of more than one person in the crime. “The accused offered prayers in the temple on Saturday morning. After damaging the stoves, he visited the beach and left Puri by train. We got a clue about him from the railway station,” he said.

Also Read: Puri SP Reveals Identity Of Suspect & Reason For Vandalising Stoves In Jagannath Temple Kitchen

And how could the incident take pace with Jagannath Temple Police (JTP) personnel manning the shrine?

During the probe, police had found that four Jagannath Temple Police (JTP) personnel, who were on duty inside the temple on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, had spotted the accused near the kitchen around 1 am. Was he questioned before being evicted from the premises?

Once the sanctum sanctorum is closed, JTP personnel search the temple complex to clear all humans from the shrine premises. If any devotee is found sleeping in the compound, they are escorted out. This exercise is called ‘Sodha’.

Sources said Mahapatra, who is an electrician, works as a priest in his village. It is also being suspected that he is mentally unwell.

Notably, the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) had on Tuesday alleged that the incident was sponsored to divert the attention of people from the illegal constructions under the Puri Heritage Corridor Project.