Dhenkanal: A father and his two sons were sent to judicial custody for allegedly assaulting census officials, abusing them and damaging a government vehicle in Anantapur Sahi under Kamakhyanagar police limits in Dhenkanal district, officials said on Thursday.
The accused — Nikunja Ramana Satapathy and his sons Udit Swapna Satapathy and Bhanu Prakash Satapathy — were arrested following a complaint lodged by census staff and later produced before a local court.
According to officials, the incident occurred during an ongoing census exercise when the trio allegedly attacked four enumerators, used abusive language and vandalised a vehicle, triggering tension in the area. A video of the incident has since surfaced on social media.
Sub-Collector Dinamani Naik took cognisance of the matter and directed action, following which Kamakhyanagar Police registered a case and carried out the arrests.
Reacting to the incident, the state’s Revenue Minister said strict and exemplary action would be taken against anyone obstructing or attacking census officials, stressing that such acts would not be tolerated in a democratic country.
