Odisha BJP spokesperson condemned the police action and said it was “pre-planned”. (agent)
Bhubaneswar:
Odisha Police on Sunday arrested BJP MLA Subhash Chandra Panigrahi from his official residence for assaulting a Block Development Officer in Deogarh district.
Along with Panigrahi, two of his associates Aklu Dhal and Kumarmani Sahu were also arrested for allegedly carrying out a deadly attack on Tlibani BDO Krishnachandra Dalpati in Bhaliaguda village on Saturday.
Mr Dalpati had lodged an FIR at the Deogarh police station, claiming that the MLA and his associates attacked him near the BDO office when the MLAs could not find him there, as he was busy with some official work.
According to the complaint, the BDO suffered injuries on his face and other parts of the body after being beaten up and kicked by the MLA and his associates.
Mr. Panigrahi also lodged a counter FIR against the BDO in the same police station, alleging that Dalpati had misbehaved with him.
Devgarh SP Raj Kishore Paikre said that the police have started investigation by registering two cases on the basis of the complaint of MLA and BDO.
Odisha BJP spokesperson Golak Mohapatra condemned the police action and said it was “pre-planned”.
“The MLA was the first to lodge an FIR, alleging that the BDO grabbed his collar and misbehaved with him in public. The police did not take any action against Dalpati.” The ruling BJD said the law should take its course.
Party spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said, “It is not proper to beat up a government servant on duty. The police have taken the right decision.”
This is not the first case of arrest of an MLA in Odisha this year.
Balugaon’s ruling BJD MLA Prashant Jagdev was jailed in March after his car rammed into a mob during a panchayat election, injuring several.
In January, Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs and Jal Shakti Bishweshwar Tudu was also accused of assaulting Deputy Director of the District Planning Board Ashwini Malik and Assistant Director Debashish Mohapatra at their office in Mayurbhanj district.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)