Temple keys probe: SJTA, Puri DM file affidavits

The Justice Raghubir Das Commission of Inquiry probing into missing of the keys of the Ratna Bhandar of the Jagannath Temple of Puri has received three more affidavits, informed Justice Das after holding the panel’s third sitting here on Tuesday.

Set up on June 6 and asked to submit its report within three months, the commission by now has received only seven affidavits.

“The Chief Administrator of the temple and the Puri district Collector along with one Raj Kumar Mohanty of Puri recently submitted their affidavits.

The commission had received four affidavits earlier. After going through all the seven affidavits, the commission will decide to pass necessary orders within seven days,” Justice Das said.

In April this year, the Puri district administration had informed the temple administration that the keys to the inner chamber of the Ratna Bhandar were missing, following which the State Government came under severe criticism from across the country. Seeing the mood of the people, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik ordered the judicial inquiry into the whole episode.