Puri Violence: Cases Registered Against 15 Persons

Replying to a question on the arrest of some members of the Shanti (peace) Committee, the SP said no such committee was formed. “The agitators had come to the meeting for a discussion,” he pointed out.

The Simhadwara Police had registered nine cases and the Town Police six after some hooligans went on the rampage and ransacked the assets of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and that of several government offices.

The Jagannath Sena had given the Puri bandh call on October 3, protesting against the dhadi darshan (queue system) introduced by the SJTA on the directive of the Supreme Court.

The bandh took a violent turn after the police picked up its convener Priyadarshan Patnaik.

The protesters, apart from ransacking the SJTA office, also damaged the assets of local MLA and minister Maheswar Mohanty in his house and pelted the official residence of Puri SP with stones.

Police later resorted to lathi-charge to disperse them.