The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) on Sunday interrogated senior servitor Rama Krushna Das Mohapatra to ascertain whether the neem wood used for the idols at the new Jagannath Temple in Digha had been sourced from leftover wood used during rituals at Puri in 2015.

Mohapatra had led a group of 60 servitors from Puri to attend the Digha temple’s inauguration on April 30.

The inquiry gained momentum after Mohapatra, in an interview with a Bengali news channel, claimed that he had taken the idols from Puri. According to him, the idols were sculpted from neem wood left over from the construction of the Puri idols during the 2015 Nabakalebara — a ceremonial event where the old idols are replaced with new ones carved from a specific type of neem tree.

Mohapatra had said: “Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee is my disciple. At her request, I went to Digha for the inauguration of the Jagannath Temple. Initially, stone idols had been installed there, but I told them rituals cannot be conducted with stone idols. Later, I took idols made from the leftover neem wood used during the 2015 Nabakalebara in Puri.”

The state government on Friday directed the SJTA to launch an investigation and submit a report. The SJTA convened a meeting of the the apex body of temple servitors on Saturday, where it was decided to record Mohapatra’s statement.

Bengal leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that sacred neem wood had been stolen from the 12th-century shrine and demanded action against Mohapatra.

Mohapatra appeared before the administration and was questioned by SJTA chief administrator Arabinda Kumar Padhee and other senior officials. They also sought to know how he had participated in the Digha temple’s rituals without prior permission from the SJTA.

Sources said Mohapatra denied having taken any leftover wood from the temple but admitted to attending the inauguration and performing rituals. He reportedly argued that servitors often travel across the world to promote Jagannath culture.

Bijay Mohapatra, chief carpenter of the chariot of Lord Jagannath, said: “The leftover wood would not have been enough to carve three idols of three feet each. It’s hard to believe that such idols could be made from the remnants.”

Sources claimed that Mohapatra may have had a “slip of tongue” during his interview and exaggerated to gain credit.

The SJTA on Sunday served a show-cause notice to Mohapatra over his statement, asking him to submit his response within seven days. “If Mohapatra fails to respond within the stipulated time, strict disciplinary action will be taken against him,” a temple source said.