Pilgrim from Maha assaulted by priests

A devotee from Maharashtra was on Sunday allegedly assaulted by a group of servitors and his gold pendent snatched inside the Jagannath temple over payment of dakshina or donation.

The victim, identified as Chetan G. Amolkar, a resident of Thane in Maharashtra, was beaten up and injured for not paying a huge amount to the servitors as demanded by them.

Chetan lodged a complaint with the Singhadwar police here alleging the servitors of manhandling him, misbehaving with him, assaulting him and snatching his gold pendent on the Jagannath temple premises in Puri.

According to reports, Chetan and his family had visited Srimandir, the abode of Lord Jagannath, for darshan of the deity.

The servitors demanded a huge amount from him for offering prayer to deities at the temple. After refusing to pay them dakshina, the servitors manhandled him inside the temple campus and tried to snatch his gold chain. When he protested, he was allegedly beaten and his clothes were torn.

He sustained injury on his right hand while trying to save his gold chain. Although, he managed to get his gold chain back, the pendent attached to it was taken away .

“The pundits are getting salary for worshipping the deities and their service at the shrine. But, they are demanding huge amount from the devotees in name of darshan,” said Chetan.