For his alleged involvement in assaulting journalists and threatening the district Collector, the fugitive servitor Damodar Mahasuhar of the Jagannath Temple at Puri on Thursday was directed by the High Court to appear before the local police investigating officer (IO) and cooperate with the prosecution in investigating into the cases for which he has been booked.
Justice BK Nayak of the High Court, however, gave an interim protection to the beleaguered servitor by ordering to stay the execution of a non-bailable arrest warrant (NBW) issued against him. The court also stayed the proceedings initiated against him by the Puri police to proclaim him as an “absconder” and attachment of his properties under Sections 82 and 83 CrPC.
After his anticipatory bail was rejected by the HC in August this year, Damodar had once again approached the HC with a plea to quash the subsequent proceedings initiated against him by the police. Observing that it was “premature” to prosecute Damodar under Sections 82 and 83 of CrPC, the HC on Thursday gave temporary reliefs to him but nevertheless asked him to surrender before the IO.
In a related development, the Additional District Judge Court of Puri on the day granted bail to another temple servitor, Saina Khuntia. Reports reaching here said Khuntia was granted bail for a bail bond of `30,000 and two sureties of like amount. The Puri court also set other general conditions on Khuntia while allowing his bail application.