Puri, Jan 25: Tension gripped inside Puri Shreemandir on Saturday after a clash erupted between two groups of devotees near the Satapahacha barricaded area. The incident left a woman and her son injured.


According to reports, the incident occurred near the barricaded area close to the Satapahacha as devotees were moving towards the sanctum for darshan.


The victim, Sunita Nayak, a resident of Berhampur, had come to Puri along with her family to seek the blessings of Lord Jagannath. While she and her son Deepak Nayak were standing in a queue near the Satapahacha barricade, a few male devotees allegedly attempted to break the line and move ahead of them. When Sunita Nayak objected to this, an argument ensued.


The verbal altercation soon escalated into a physical clash, during which Sunita Nayak and her son were allegedly assaulted by the other devotees. In the incident, Sunita Nayak reportedly suffered a fracture in her hand, while her son sustained a fracture to his finger.


Temple police and security personnel intervened to control the situation and escorted the injured to safety.


Following the incident, a complaint was lodged at the Singhadwar police station. Both groups involved in the clash were brought to the police station for questioning. Sunita Nayak has submitted a written complaint against four individuals, accusing them of assault.


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Taking note of the incident, Singhadwar police have initiated an investigation into the matter and stated that further action will be taken based on the findings of the inquiry.


On the other hand, authorities are reviewing crowd management measures at the temple, which witnesses heavy footfall daily, to prevent similar incidents in the future.


(Compiled By: Krishna Hota)