Bhubaneswar: On Tuesday, Odisha's Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan addressed the claims regarding the alleged theft of 'modak' from the Jagannath temple in Puri, stating that no such incident occurred as suggested by some servitors.

The 'modak', a unique type of ladoo, is traditionally offered to the temple deities during rituals leading up to the Rath Yatra festival.

According to the minister, the chief administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), Arabinda Padhee, confirmed that there was no theft of modak.

In light of the controversy, Padhee initiated an investigation by SJTA officials, which corroborated that the modak was intact.

During the Lord's 'Anasar' period, a group of 'Vaidya sevak' (ayurvedic practitioners) provides modak to the temple, as it is believed to aid in the deities' recovery from illness.

The issue arose when Haladhar Das Mohapatra, the 'Badagrahi' (bodyguard) of Lord Balabhadra, reported that 70 out of 313 modaks, which were securely stored, were unaccounted for. He claimed that the theft compromised the sanctity of the modak and filed a formal complaint with the SJTA.

In response to the allegations, Padhee reiterated that there was no evidence of theft.