Puri: More than 24 hours have passed since around100 clay ovens (chullahs) of the Jagannath Temple kitchen (Rosa Ghara) were ransacked, but the miscreants involved are yet to be identified. The Superintendent of Police, Puri, Dr Kanwar Vishal Singh said a five-member police team led by Additional SP (Temple Security) is investigating the incident.
An FIR has been registered at Singhadwar police station in connection on Monday under multiple Sections of the IPC and Section 30 (A), 4 (b) of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Act.
The case has been booked under Sections 427 (Mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 295 (Destroying, damaging or defiling a place of worship or sacred object with intent to insult the religion of any class of persons) and 295 A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), said Singh.
“We are laying top priority to this case. Evidence collection and analysis of CCTV footages have started. Anyone involved in this incident will be detained immediately and subsequently action will be taken as per law,” Puri SP said.
About the motive behind this unruly incident, Singh said, “It would be premature to speculate. Our priority at the moment is identification of the persons involved in damage.”
Collector Samarth Verma said apart from an FIR at the police station, an internal inquiry is on. “Very soon the people involved in the vandalism will be identified.”
