Two servitors were today arrested for allegedly abusing Puri Collector Arvind Agarwal during the Niladri Bije ritual of Lord Jagannath on July 17, said SP Sarthak Sarangi.
With these arrests, the number of servitors held in connection with irregularities in the annual Ratha Yatra (car festival) has gone up to eight.
Earlier, police had arrested six servitors on charge of physically assaulting journalists covering the Niladri Bije ritual. A total of 15 servitors have so far been identified for their involvement in the journalist attack case, Sarangi said.
Also Read
Those arrested today have been identified as Surya Naryan Pratihari and Raghunath Khuntia, the SP said.
The servitors had allegedly attacked media persons for airing live the family members of certain priests climbing the chariots defying Orissa High Court's ban.
On the complaint of Puri Collector Arvind Agarwal two FIRs were lodged against six servitors who had allegedly misbehaved and abused him using foul language and threatened to kill him during the ritual.