Servitor of Puri's Jagannath temple shot dead
Puri: A servitor of the Jagannath temple in Puri was shot dead on Wednesday morning, leading to tension in the temple town, police said.
Krushna Chandra Pratihari, a former member of the temple Managing Committee, was shot dead near his house at Barabati Jagaghar in Town police station area, they said.
Two persons came on a bike and opened fire at Pratihari before fleeing from the spot, police said.
He was taken to the district hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead, they said.
Four teams have been formed to nab the culprits, who are yet to be identified, they added.
Pratihari was also the secretary of Suar Mahasuar Nijog, the body of servitors who prepare Mahaprasad in the 12th-century shrine. He was recently acquitted in the murder case of former BJD councillor and servitor Taluchha Bhagaban Mohapatra alias Guna Singhari, which happened in August 2012.
In the charge sheet of that case, police had identified Pratihari as the "prime conspirator" who allegedly hired goons to kill Singhari due to rivalry over land deals and real estate business.
Puri collector Samarth Verma and Superintendent of Police VK Singh visited the crime scene, and assured locals that those behind the incident would be nabbed soon.
Police said they suspect the murder of Pratihari could be a fallout of past enmity.
The incident triggered tensions in the temple town as Pratihari was known to be influential.
