Puri, Apr 4 (PTI) Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday directed Chief Secretary SC Mohapatra and DGP SK Bansal to take stock of the investigation into the vandalism at the holy kitchen of Jagannath temple in Puri.

Forty 'chulhas' or ovens were vandalised at the holy kitchen on Saturday night, leading to a delay in the rituals of the trinity -- Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath, and a scarcity of 'Mahaprasad' for devotees.

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After visiting the temple on the direction of Patnaik, the chief secretary said that one person was seen on the CCTV footage of the vandalism.

Stating that he will be nabbed soon, Mohapatra said appropriate steps will be taken to ensure that such an incident does not happen again.

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He, however, ruled out that the incident was a result of differences between 'Suara Mahasuara Nijog' and the 'Suara Nijog' -- the two groups of servitors engaged in the holy kitchen.

DGP Bansal said that case has been lodged and those behind the incident would be arrested soon.

Investigation is underway to ascertain the motive of the vandalism, he said.

The number of security personnel at the temple will be increased and high-resolution cameras would be installed at the shrine, he added.

Police said that a five-member team has been formed to investigate the matter.

The incident led to a furore across the state as the vandalism hurt the sentiments of lakhs of devotees, who raised concerns over the security at the 12th-century shrine.

The opposition BJP slammed the state government for failing to make an arrest even after 24 hours of the incident.

"The incident has pained and hurt me. The administration should take measures to ensure that such types of incidents do not happen in the future," Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan tweeted in Odia.

As per the temple's Record of Rights, there are around 240 registered ovens in the kitchen of the temple, including 40 'chulhas' used by the administration for preparing the 'Mahaprasad'.

Vandalism at the holy kitchen is a first of its kind incident in the 12th-century shrine, said researcher Prafulla Ratha.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)