KalingaTV News Network
Puri: With massive public outcry over the Srimandir Ratna Bhandar keys controversy, a case was filed in Puri SDJM court against Puri collector Arvind Agarwal and former Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Pradeep Jena here on Monday.
The case was filed by lawyer and social activist from Puri, Chinmaya Dash alleging that both Agarwal and Jena have misled the facts relating to missing keys of the Ratna Bhandar and the ‘duplicate’ keys of the Ratna Bhandar found from the strong box of District Record Room.
The complainant, in his FIR, has stated that the Collector and the SJTA Chief Administrator have put crores of devotees in dark and both the accused persons have also not taken the Orissa HC and State Government into confidence.
Agarwal is the custodian of the inner Ratna Bhandar keys and his statement regarding the recovery of the duplicate keys are false, baseless and fabricated as the Shree Jagannath Temple Rules, 1960 does not permit keeping duplicate keys.
The activist has further alleged that this incident has shown the negligence of both Agarwal and Jena and suppressing such a sensitive issue for over 2 months is a serious act of breach of trust and an offence in the eye of law.
The next hearing in the case has been fixed for June 25.
Notably, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had ordered a judicial probe into the circumstances leading to non-availability of the keys of Ratna Bhandar on June 4 following which Justice Raghubir Das, retired judge of Orissa High court was appointed as the Chairman of the commission of inquiry.
It is worthwhile to mention here that a team of Puri district administration had found a set of ‘duplicate’ keys inside a sealed envelope in a strong box of the District Record Room on June 17.
Ms Kalinga AI