Bhubaneswar, June 23: Puri police today began investigation into the alleged assault on an US national and his wife by servitors and the Jagannath temple police personnel yesterday.

The police took Noel Magee Hayden, 30, to the district headquarters hospital for a medical examination today.

“We are trying to find out the people responsible for this incident,” said deputy superintendent of police Manasananda Tripathy.

A case has been registered under sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 384 (extortion) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) at Kumbharpada police station.

The temple administration has described the incident as “unfortunate” and wanted an inquiry.

“Action will be initiated against the persons involved in the incident after the probe. The temple administration will ensure that such incidents do not occur in future,” said chief temple administrator Arabinda Padhee.

Yesterday, Noel, a California-based medicine student, and his wife Shilpi Baral, who is from Dhenkanal, alleged that some servitors and Jagannath temple police personnel had manhandled Noel. The couple also claimed that the servitors had demanded Rs 5,000 to take them atop the chariot, but later physically assaulted him though they paid Rs 200. The couple reported the matter at Gundicha Ghara police outpost and later lodged a complaint with the Kumbharpada police station.

The servitors refuted the allegation of charging money from devotees to take them atop the chariots.

“The allegations are baseless. Foreign nationals can have a darshan of the deities from the ground but are not allowed to climb the chariots,” said assistant secretary of Daitapati Nijoga Binayak Das Mohapatra.

Local residents said despite several untoward incidents taking place in the past concerning the entry of foreigners into the temple, this was the first incident in which a foreigner was allegedly assaulted on the chariot during the rath yatra.

Noel said they had visited the temple town several times in the past during the festival but yesterday was the first time that he climbed onto the chariot.

Shilpi said: “The rath yatra is the only occasion when Lord Jagannath comes out of his abode to give darshan to all his devotees, irrespective of their religion and caste. Why this restriction then? Noel has never tried to enter the temple. It seems the servitors are more interested in making money.”