Servitor of Jagannath temple in Puri shot dead

Bhubaneswar, March 16: Krushna Chandra Pratihari, a senior servitor at the Jagannath temple in Puri, was shot dead on Wednesday morning, the police said.

Pratihari was shot dead by unidentified miscreants near the Barabati area in Puri. Soon after the incident, the servitor was rushed to the hospital where a doctor declared him dead.

Puri SP Kanwar Vishal Singh said that the murder of the senior servitor is a challenging case and four teams have been formed to nab the accused.

On January 20, Pratihari, the secretary of Suar Mahasuar Nijog of the temple, was acquitted along with five others in the sensational murder of former BJD councillor and servitor Taluchha Bhagaban Mohapatra alias Guna Singhari.

The murder of Guna Singhari occurred in a similar manner in August 2012 in Puri.