Ileana in dock for 'forcing' her way onto chariot

BHUBANESWAR: A complaint case was filed in a Puri court on Friday, alleging that Italian Odissi dancer IleanaCitaristi forced her way onto Jagannath'sNandighosha chariot despite being advised by police and priests not to do so.
This coincided with Ileana saying she would forgive the temple priests, who allegedly assaulted her on July 21, if they apologized.
Volunteers of Jagannath Sena, a Puri-based socio-cultural organization, said police and priests had told Ileana not to climb the chariot. "She ignored them and forced her way onto the chariot. The allegation that servitors beat her up is false," Sena convener Priyadarshan Pattnaik told mediapersons.
"The court of sub-divisional judicial magistrate admitted our complaint. Ileana has hurt the sentiments of Hindus by tarnishing the image of Jagannath Temple priests. She should be punished," he added.
Ileana rubbished the allegation. "I was not stopped or warned by anyone. Nobody questioned my religion. The servitors assaulted me after I refused to pay them Rs 1,000 dakshina (donation)," she said. "I will withdraw my police case, if the two priests apologizedto me," she told TOI.
Though police had registered cases against two priests on the day of the incident, no one has been arrested.
After furore over the incident, some priests visited her house here on Wednesday and sought amicable solution to the issue.