Puri: A senior police constable (havildar) was placed under suspension in Puri district after he allegedly hit an elderly woman with a cane stick inside Shree Jagannath Temple here, a senior officer said.
The 65-year-old woman, who sustained injuries on her head, was immediately taken to a hospital by other security personnel posted there, the police officer said.
According to police sources, Madhuri Das, a resident of Behrampur, got into an argument with the constable, after she was stopped from rushing into the sanctum sanctorum.
Havildar Prashant Dalai, who was managing the crowd, allegedly hit Das with his stick in the midst of the argument, the sources said.
The shrine had been witnessing heavy footfalls over the past few days with devotees making a beeline to offer prayers to the Trinity — Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath — on the occasion of ‘Panchuka’, a festival marking the end of Kartik month in Hindu calendar.
In view of the rush at the shrine, additional police personnel have been deployed there to ensure a seamless experience for the devotees, Puri Superintendent of Police Kanwar Vishal Singh said
A thorough probe will be conducted to ascertain the circumstances that led to the incident, he said, adding that the woman is currently in stable condition.