The judicial commission inquiry report on the missing key of Ratna Bhandar (treasure trove) of Puri Jagannath Temple is expected to be made public in the next session of the state Assembly commencing February 17, after the Orissa High Court issued a directive in this regard.
In its order, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice M S Raman also directed the government to complete the exercise of tallying the inventory report submitted by the newly constituted committee with the inventory report submitted in 1978 within three months.
“No complacency can be shown by the state government in relation to the process of the inventory and the report submitted by the committee and we trust and hope that the state shall show alacrity in this regard,” read the HC order issued on January 27.
The missing key of Ratna Bhandar was a major issue ahead of the 2024 elections, with senior BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, raising it in multiple public meetings and targeting the previous BJD government over the safety of the Ratna Bhandar.
Even as the BJP accused the previous BJD government of suppressing the inquiry report on the missing keys of Ratna Bhandar while in opposition, it did not make it public after assuming power.
The issue of the ‘missing keys’ of the inner chamber of the Ratna Bhandar came to the fore on April 4, 2018, when the state government attempted to open the inner chamber for physical inspection following an HC direction. The attempt was unsuccessful as the keys were missing, triggering state-wide outrage.
On April 5, 2018, it was informed in a temple committee meeting that there was no information on the keys of the Ratna Bhandar. The Puri collector is the custodian of the key to the inner treasure.
The missing key of Ratna Bhandar was a major issue ahead of the 2024 elections, with senior BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, raising it in multiple public meetings and targeting the previous BJD government over the safety of the Ratna Bhandar.efore Rath Yatra 2026.
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