Bhubaneswar: In a major breakthrough, police on Tuesday arrested the prime accused in the brutal assault on journalist Bijay Pradhan in Kulthipali village under Puintala police station limits in Bolangir district.
The accused has been identified as Gajendra Dalai, was apprehended from Jharsuguda.
According to reports, Dalai was overseeing the construction of a retaining wall along the village road, a project that had come under scrutiny following allegations of corruption. On Friday, Pradhan visited the village with his nephew to report on the alleged irregularities.
Dalai reportedly objected to the journalist filming the ongoing work and allegedly instigated others to assault him. On Saturday, when Pradhan returned to continue his investigation, he was attacked by a group of men. The assailants allegedly tied his hands and legs, physically assaulted him, and paraded him through the village before taking him to a nearby temple. There, they reportedly threatened him with dire consequences if he published the report or spoke about the incident.
Following the attack, Pradhan immediately lodged a complaint at the Puintala police station. Acting swiftly, the police arrested four persons on Monday in connection with the case, including a juvenile.
The adult accused have been identified as Abinash Dalei (25), Aditya Kumar Jena (31), and Gumar Naik (40).
