The Puri police have arrested Kashinath Khuntia, a senior servitor of the Shree Jagannath Temple, for allegedly assaulting mediapersons and causing disturbances during the Niladri Bije rituals (Return festival of deities to the sanctum sanctorum) in June this year.
Khuntia, who was declared as absconder by police, was held by the Singhadwar police on Friday night.
The servitor was booked on three separate charges, one for assaulting mediapersons, secondly misbehaving with Puri district Collector Arvind Agrawral and thirdly making disturbances during the Niladri Bije rituals.
The Orissa High Court had ordered an interim stay on the action of police in issuing non-bailable warrant (NBW) against Khuntia in connection with the incident of misbehaviour towards the Puri Collector.
Kashinath Khuntia and seven other servitors, Damodar Mahasuara, Jayakrushna Mahasuara, Saina Khuntia, Bhimsen Palankadhari, Ipsit Pratihari, Rabi Dash and Bhagirathi Khuntia, who are accused of heckling the Collector during the Niladri Bije rituals, were declared as absconders by police on July 27 and were on the run.