A 10-member team of the Jagannath temple servitors chosen by the Chhatisha Nijog on Saturday met district Collector Arvind Agarwal and appealed to withdraw the complaints against the servitors and solve the issue amicably.
Earlier on Friday night, a meeting of the Chhatisha Nijog was held in which members deliberated on the issue to resolve the standoff between the administration and the servitors. They resolved to send the delegates to meet the district Collector and persuade him to withdraw police complaints and settle the dispute through discussion.
The Collector, it is learnt, advised the accused persons to surrender and did not heed the appeal of the servitor delegates.
On the other hand, pressure was mounting on the Puri police to nab main culprit Damodar Mahasuar and others. Police conducted raids at various places to arrest the culprit servitors as the deadline for surrender expired on the Friday night.
Earlier, the police had given two days’ time to the accused servitors to surrender. On Saturday, prosecution had approached the court to issue non bailable arrest warrants (NBW) against the absconding servitors. The court kept the matter for consideration, it is learnt.