Bhubaneswar: On 1 May, the State Police has arrested Saffron Lawmaker Subhas Chandra Panigrahi for allegedly assaulting a senior OAS Officer, serving as Block Development Officer in Deogarh district.
Deogarh District Police Team arrested Mr.Panigrahi from his Official Residence here along with his two aides.
They are Akalu Dhal and Kumarmani Sahoo and both of them were also held over allegations of launching a murderous attack on Tileibani BDO Krushnachandra Dalapati at Bhaliaguda village on 30 April.
Mr.Dalapati had lodged an FIR at Deogarh police station, claiming that the Lawmaker and his aides attacked him near the BDO office.
According to sources, as BDO was busy in official work in the field the MLA could not find him in Office.
In fact he was busy with some official work, said a senior officer.
Complaints made in the Police Station says that the senior officer suffered injuries on his face and other parts of the body after he was beaten and kicked by the Legislator and his aides.
BJP MLA Mr.Panigrahi also lodged a counter FIR against the BDO at the same police station, alleging that Mr.Dalapati misbehaved with him.
Deogarh SP Raj Kishore Paikray said police have registered two cases on the basis of complaints filed by the MLA and the BDO, and launched an investigation.
State 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 caught hold of his collar and misbehaved with him in full public view. The police did not take any action against Mr.Dalapati.”
However the Governing BJD said “law should take its own course”.
“It is not proper to assault a government servant on duty. The police have taken the right decision,” BJD Spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said.
This is not the first instance of an MLA’s arrest in Odisha this year.
Suspended BJD Lawmaker from Chilika, Prashant Jagdev was sent to jail in March after his car ran over a crowd during the panchayat polls, injuring many.
In January, Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs and Jal Shakti Bishweswar Tudu was also accused of assaulting District Planning Board Deputy Director Ashwini Mallik and Assistant Director Debashis Mohapatra in his office in Mayurbhanj district.
Sambalpur BJP Lawmaker Jai Narayan Mishra also alleged assaulted a senior officer in the Western Odisha town recently.