Puri: A group of temple servitors assaulted a female journalist while she was doing her duty at the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri yesterday. However, no action has been taken against the servitors involved in the case even 24 hours after the incident.
The female journalist, who has been identified as Linu Nayak had gone to the Singhadwara with her cameraman Siba Kishore to cover the ‘Ratha Katha Anukula,’ a sacred ritual marking the beginning of chariot construction for the upcoming Rath Yatra.
However, a group of servitors of the Jagannath temple surrounded them and assaulted the duo in full public view. In a video of the incident, one of the servitors was even seen raising his hands with the aim to slap the female journalist while another was seen dispersing her by pulling her hands.
Later, Linu Nayak filed a case at the Singhadwara Police station, based on which Puri Superintendent of Police (SP) Vinit Agrawal had said to register a case and taken action against the persons involved in the matter after verifying the footages of the CCTV cameras.
However, as no action was taken even 24 hours after the incident, the journalists who are working in Puri City today took out a ‘Nyay Yatra’ from the Circuit House to the office of the district collector and demanded justice for the victim female journalist. They also sought action against the accused servitors and protection of their own rights.
Similarly, the members of Odisha Union of Journalists (OUJ) met Puri Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain and apprised him about the matter and sought appropriate action. They also threatened to launch a state-level protest if action is not taken against the accused persons.
Likewise, human rights activist Jayant Das filed a complaint over the issue before the National Human Rights Commission of India.
Meanwhile, Puri Collector assured to take action as per the law after discussion with the concerned senior officials.
