Bhubaneswar, 20 May (H.S.): The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration has suspended servitor Kishan Mekap, also known as Narayan Mekap, from all seva and puja duties until further orders following an alleged scuffle inside the Ratna Bhandar of the Jagannath Temple.

According to temple administration sources, the incident occurred during the ongoing inventory-related proceedings inside the Ratna Bhandar, the treasury chamber of the Srimandir. A heated argument reportedly broke out between Kishan Mekap and his uncle over entry into the treasury chamber.

The verbal dispute allegedly escalated into a physical confrontation inside the ‘Bhandar Ghara’, leading to tension at the site during the inventory process. Administrative officials present at the spot intervened promptly and brought the situation under control.

Following the incident, the Chief Administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration issued an order suspending the servitor from all temple rituals and duties until further notice.

The temple administration clarified that the altercation stemmed from personal reasons between the two individuals and stated that the ongoing counting and inventory work inside the Ratna Bhandar was not affected by the incident.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda