Jagannath Temple Servitor’s Murder: Puri Police Form 4-Member SIT; Check Details

Puri: The district police have formed a four-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to expedite the collection of evidence and filing of chargesheet in the Jagannath Temple servitor Krushna Chandra Pratihari murder case.

The SIT, formed by Puri SP Kanwar Vishal Singh, will be led by Additional SP (Puri) Mihir Panda. Other members are DSP City, IIC Baliapanda and IIC Baseli Sahi.

Panda will monitor the progress of investigation on a daily basis and ensure the chargesheet is submitted at the earliest.

Following a court order, police have taken four accused on a three-day remand — Kunmun Suar, Tutu Mohapatra, Baba Mohapatra and Hari Pandaare.

The four were present at Barabati Jagaghara (a community centre), where Pratihari was shot dead on March 17. The murder was reportedly the fallout of a decade-old grudge over the 2012 killing of Guna Singhari, a servitor of the Puri Jagannath temple and a former BJD councillor.

While Baba was arrested along with five others, including Guna Singhari’s brother Kalia Singhari and nephew Dolagobinda Singhari, on March 21, Kunmun, Tutu and Hari were nabbed the following day from Koraput.

Hari had reportedly fired on Pratihari from a close range, killing him on the spot.