The Orissa High Court today refused to interfere in the disciplinary proceedings intitiated by Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) against the servitors for the Naba Kalebara fiasco and dismissed the petitions of two Daita servitors challenging their suspension orders.
Justice Dr A K Rath, who held analogous hearing on two separate petitions filed by Kasinath Dasmohapatra and his son Jaykrushna, who were suspended by SJTA, dismissed their pleas.
Pending initiation of disciplinary proceedings, the two servitors were put under suspension by SJTA chief administrator Suresh Chandra Mohapatra who held them responsible for the delay in transfer of Bramha(soul) substance of the deities as part of Nabakalebara secret rituals on June 15 and June 16.
Both the servitors were also issued with show cause notices as per provisions of SJTA Act of 1954 and were asked to reply to the notices within 30 days. The servitors were told that failing suitable reply, appropriate disciplinary actions shall be initiated against them.
The suspended Daitas then moved the HC seeking to quash the June 24 suspension orders and stop the disciplinary action against them.
Claiming that the temple administration had arbitrarily taken the action, the two had also contested the SJTA move saying the services they provided at the temple are hereditary and it cannot stop them from doing so.
