Bhubaneswar, Jan. 12: Puri police today arrested a priest of Lokanath temple for allegedly assaulting and forcibly ousting a 35-year-old woman from the premises this afternoon.

Although around 100 other devotees including priests were present at the shrine, nobody came to the rescue of Usharani Mohanty, a resident of Unit-VIII in Bhubaneswar.

Usharani along with her three relatives had been to the temple this afternoon.

Though she had purchased a ticket of Rs 31 for darshan of the deity, the priest allegedly demanded Rs 200 extra for this purpose.

When Usharani opposed, and argument started between her and the priest.

The priest was identified as Rabinarayan Panda, a native of Goudabada Sahi of Puri.

“When I threatened to lodge a police complaint against him, the priest caught hold of my neck and even tried to strangulate me,” alleged the woman. She even alleged that other priests also helped Panda in driving her out from the temple. Later, the woman lodged a complaint with Baseli Sahi police station. “A case has been lodged under sections 354, 294, 341 and 323 and 34 of Indian Penal Code. Panda was arrested and produced in court,” said investigating officer of Baseli Sahi police station R.K. Nanda.