DGP K B Singh ordered suspension of police inspector Amulya Kumar Dhar on charge of violating the Orissa High Court order on touching the deities of Sri Jagannath Temple during the Rath Jatra festival.
The court had banned touching of deities and climbing on chariots by devotees or any other person not associated with rituals of the temple. Devotees were allowed to have 'darshan' of the deities from a distance.
Dhar, an inspector at Boudh police station, was deployed in crowd management during the Rath Jatra festival.
But Dhar allegedly touched Devi Subhdra's idol during Niladri Vije ritual where the deities were taken back to the main temple after the Rath Jatra.
While asking the Puri SP to frame charges against Dhar, the DGP said he took action against the inspector basing on the ground report of the local police.