Bhubaneswar: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jagannath Pradhan was arrested after he surrendered at the Bhubaneswar DCP office on Thursday night in connection with the assault on the BMC Additional Commissioner.
Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena informed about the arrest.
“Five people were arrested in this case earlier. Another person, namely Jagannath Pradhan, has been arrested tonight. He is being forwarded to court,” DCP Jagmohan Meena told the media.
“He was arrested on the basis of prima facie evidence following a detailed investigation based on the statements of the co-accused and the victim. He surrendered before us. Then, we briefed him about the offences based on the prima facie evidence. Then, he was arrested and forwarded to court,” the DCP added.
He was taken to the Capital Hospital for a health check-up after being arrested. Pradhan reached the DCP office at 9:40 pm and spoke to the media before meeting with the police, saying, “I have no connection with the attack on the BMC Additional Commissioner. The administrative system should not be affected during the Rath Yatra and floods. The government should not be defamed. I have come here to cooperate with the investigation for the honour of the government and my party.”
Meanwhile, Bhubaneswar (Ekamra) MLA Babu Singh reacted to the media about Jagannath Pradhan’s arrival at the DCP office, stating that Pradhan had come to the office at the DCP’s call.
However, hundreds of Pradhan’s supporters staged a road blockade near the DCP office at Vani Vihar Square, protesting the action against the BJP leader. Some senior leaders attempted to pacify the irate supporters through discussions.
On Monday, three persons— Jeevan Rout, Rashmi Mahapatra, and Debasis Pradhan — were arrested in connection with the incident.
Notably, the OAS officers’ association had demanded Pradhan’s arrest, holding him responsible as the key conspirator behind the attack on BMC official Ratnakar Sahoo. Earlier, five people allegedly involved in the attack had been arrested in connection with the incident.
