The local police in Puri on Thursday arrested one Krushna Chandra Pratihari alias Kalia Pratihari, a young servitor of the Jagannath temple and also a member of the management committee of the world famous shrine, in connection with the last week’s murder of another priest of the temple, Talachhu Bhagaban Mohapatra.
Like Pratihari, Mohapatra too was a member of the Puri temple management committee.
“We arrested Pratihari on the basis of our own investigation as well as statements of five other arrested youths who were directly involved in the murder case. He (Pratihari) was involved in the conspiracy to eliminate Mohapatra”, Puri Superintendent of Police (SP) Anup Kumar Sahu said.
Sahu said personal enmity could have been one of the reasons behind the killing. “A detailed investigation is on. However, both had past enmity over different issues including land business as well as matters relating to the temple”, the SP said.
