Cuttack, July 5: The Orissa High Court Bar Association, along with other such bodies across the state, would file a PIL in the high court for amendment of the Jagannath Temple Administration Act, 1954.

"The decision was taken at a meeting to chart the future course of action regarding illegalities committed during Nabakalebar, more particularly during Brahma paribartan (soul transfer) of the deities at the Puri temple," high court bar association secretary B.K. Ragada told The Telegraph today. "More than 50 bar associations from places such as Koraput, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Chatrapur, Basudevpur, Nimapada, Puri and Bhubaneswar attended the meeting yesterday and passed a resolution to this effect," Ragada said.

"A thorough and proper amendment of the Jagannath Temple Administration Act, 1954, is necessary to regulate the activities of the daitas and pandas outside and inside the temple, make them accountable for their misdemeanour and make provisions for criminal action against them for such acts," the resolution said.

The bar associations decided to further press for a judicial probe by a retired high court judge "into the irregularity and illegality committed in the process of Nabakalebar from the search of daru (divine wood) till change of Brahma (soul)".

While demanding "exemplary punishment to the culprits found guilty", the meeting also resolved to submit to the governor a detailed memorandum on the bar associations' demand, along with suggestions on the issue.

Earlier, the high court bar association had abstained from court work on June 24 and observed it as "protest day" against the inordinate delay in Brahma paribartan and demanded a judicial probe into it. Most bar associations across the state had responded to high court association's call and abstained from court work on that day.

On June 24, the temple administration issued the order of suspension of two daitapatis (servitors) for an indefinite period, blaming them for the delay in the ritual of the transfer of souls.

The Brahma paribartan ritual, instead of being held at the midnight of June 15, was done during the next day in violation of the established tradition.